Wintercreeper, or climbing euonymus, is an evergreen vine forming a dense, trailing groundcover. It can also sometimes be shrubby and can climb 20 feet or higher with aerial rootlets that cling to tree trunks and other structures.
The branches are densely covered with minute warts.
Leaves are leathery, opposite, elliptical, veiny beneath, usually toothed. Numerous cultivars exist with a variety of leaf sizes and colors, including variegated forms with yellowish striping or other patterns.
Flowers are small, greenish, and occur in clusters, with a long flower stalk.
Fruits are rounded and smooth in an orange capsule, maturing in June and July.
Height: stems to nearly 50 feet.
Most abundant in the eastern half of Missouri, but potentially statewide, especially in urban areas.
Habitat and Conservation
A cultivated plant at home sites that has escaped into several types of habitat, including floodplain forest, moist and dry-moist forest, and banks of streams and rivers.
A single cutting can grow roots and start a colony. It invades natural openings and relatively undisturbed forests. It is also found in fencerows, railroads, roadsides, and other disturbed areas.
It tolerates full sun, heavy shade, and most soil moisture conditions except extremely wet conditions. Birds, small mammals, and water disperse the seeds. It’s frequently found near urban centers, with heavy infestations in woodlands around St. Louis and Kansas City.
Status
Invasive, nonnative woody vine. Wintercreeper is a very aggressive perennial woody vine that climbs on rocks, trees, and fences as well as spreading over the ground. In 2025, the Missouri legislature passed a ban on the sale of this and several other invasive species.
Control
Human Connections
Wintercreeper was commonly sold by nurseries as an ornamental groundcover. In 2025, the Missouri legislature passed a ban on the sale of this and several other invasive species.
Its ability to grow quickly and stay evergreen in a variety of growing conditions may make it seem attractive as a garden plant, but those same traits make it a stubborn, aggressive, invasive weed both in home landscapes and in nature.
Ecosystem Connections
Wintercreeper threatens native plants and natural habitats in open-to-shady and moist-to-dry locations. It can form a dense groundcover that reduces or eliminates native plant species. It depletes nutrients and moisture for native species and can smother and kill shrubs and trees.
