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Euonymus fortunei 'Mickaela' SUMMER RUNNER Fortune´s spindle, Fortune'e euonymus
Euonymus
This group of evergreen euonymus shrubs, native to China, was named after botanist Robert Fortune, who collected plants in China from the 19th century onwards and was the first to discover the tea plant (camellia sinensis) and to introduce it to India. Fortune’s euonymus, as they were named, are low-growing to ground-covering shrubs that, perhaps uniquely in their family, can withstand temperatures at least -30 °C while maintaining their vibrant foliage.
SUMMER RUNNER is an Irish cultivar of Fortune's euonymus that was discovered in 1993 by Val Farrell in Rathmooney, near Dublin. It was a natural mutation of the Sunspot cultivar (from 1978) and Val originally named it after his wife, Mickaela. Later, it was given the trade name SUMMER RUNNER and was protected under patent no. PP16789, issued in 2006.
SUMMER RUNNER euonymus boasts a bright yellow colour in the centre of its small, evergreen leaves. These are firm, leathery, and margined deep green. Young leaves are very glossy. The twigs, too, are bright yellow, giving it a vibrant appearance. Yellow leaf areas take on pink to soft purple tones in autumn and winter. It grows mostly outward, creating dense, well-branched ground cover without empty spaces in the centre. Unlike older cultivars, it remains compact even without shaping, featuring shorter shoots. It works beautifully as an eye-catching cushion-like plant or as a lush, evergreen ground cover.
These spindles are especially valuable as underplanting for group arrangements, providing an attractive understory while allowing taller plants in the centre to draw attention. However, careful cultivar selection is advised to avoid excessive variegation or overly light-coloured foliage in combination with other taller shrubs. If placed near a vertical support, it can climb up and form a colourful evergreen wall or even a hedge.
Fortune’s spindle is easy to grow and thrives in sunlight or light shade. Pruning can be done anytime from spring to mid-summer. It prefers slightly acidic soil, though this is not essential. While it enjoys moisture, once established, it handles dry periods remarkably well. Fully hardy down to around -34 °C (USDA zone 4), it is also suitable for outdoor planters.
Last update 27-05-2025.
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
