Celastraceae

Japanese spindletree

Euonymus japonicus Thunb.

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Euonymus

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Japanese spindletree (Euonymus japonicus) — FlowerPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (7)

Basque: Basaerramu japoniar
Chinese: 冬青卫矛, 大叶黄杨, 大叶黄杨叶, 大叶黄杨根, 常春卫矛, 日本衛矛, 正木, 日本卫矛
English: Japanese spindletree
Finnish: Sorvarinlaakeri
Japanese: まさき, 柾, 正木
Spanish: Huso japones, Huso japonés
Welsh: Piswydden fythwyrdd

Synonyms

Elaeodendron javanicum Turcz.
Euonymus carrierei Dippel
Euonymus fortunei var. alticola Hand.-Mazz.
Euonymus japonicus f. albomarginatus (T.Moore) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. argenteovariegatus (Regel) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. aureomarginatus (Rehder) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. aureovariegatus (Regel) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. fastigiatus (Carrière) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. macrophyllus (Regel) Beissn.
Euonymus japonicus f. microphyllus (H.Jaeger) Beissn.
Euonymus japonicus f. pyramidatus (Carrière) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus f. rugosus (Nakai) H.Hara
Euonymus japonicus f. viridivariegatus (Rehder) Rehder
Euonymus japonicus unranked albomarginatus T.Moore
Euonymus japonicus unranked aureovariegatus J.J.Veitch
Euonymus japonicus unranked aureus-variegatus E.J.Lowe & W.Howard
Euonymus japonicus unranked latifolius-albovariegatus W.Bull ex J.Dix
Euonymus japonicus unranked tricolor Jacob-Makoy
Euonymus japonicus var. argenteovariegatus Regel
Euonymus japonicus var. aureomarginatus Rehder
Euonymus japonicus var. aureovariegatus Regel
Euonymus japonicus var. fastigiatus Carrière
Euonymus japonicus var. latifolius André
Euonymus japonicus var. litoralis Konta & S.Matsumoto
Euonymus japonicus var. longifolius Nakai
Euonymus japonicus var. macrophyllus Regel
Euonymus japonicus var. microphyllus H.Jaeger
Euonymus japonicus var. pyramidatus Carrière
Euonymus japonicus var. radicifer Nakai
Euonymus japonicus var. rugosus Nakai
Euonymus japonicus var. subinteger Sugim.
Euonymus japonicus var. viridivariegatus Rehder
Euonymus pulchellus Jacob-Makoy
Euonymus pulchellus unranked foliis-variegatis Pynaert
Euonymus sinensis Carrière
Euonymus variegatus J.Dix
Euonymus yoshinagae Makino
Masakia japonica (Thunb.) Nakai
Masakia japonica var. latifolia Nakai
Masakia yoshinagae (Makino) Nakai

and 1 more.

Flowers

In flower: April, June to August, December to February (from 58 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Jacqui Geux, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Emily Summerbell, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Leon Perrie, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Robert H. Wardell, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ellen Bidulka, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Enr-v, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Joe Dillon, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: SmileyNi, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

More in Euonymus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.