Invasive spindle shrub confirmed spreading in New Hampshire woods
iNaturalist: wendy_gbbns
Invasive Species
If this evergreen groundcover shows up in your own yard or nearby woods, it's likely escaped from a landscaping planting and can smother native seedlings before you even notice it taking hold.
Someone out walking in Hancock, New Hampshire found a patch of fortune's spindle, a low evergreen shrub often planted as groundcover, and other naturalists confirmed the identification. That confirmation matters because this plant isn't native to New England; it escapes gardens easily and crowds out the wildflowers and seedlings that belong there.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the identification was confirmed by multiple community reviewers
Location recorded as Kings Hwy, Hancock, New Hampshire, documenting the species' presence outside cultivation
Euonymus fortunei (fortune's spindle) is a commonly planted ornamental groundcover known to naturalize and spread in wild areas
chevron_right Technical Summary
A gardener in Hancock, New Hampshire spotted and confirmed an invasive shrub called fortune's spindle growing along Kings Highway, adding a verified data point for tracking this plant's spread in the Northeast.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
fortune's spindle (Euonymus fortunei) observed in Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, US
Research-grade observation of fortune's spindle in Kings Hwy, Hancock, NH, US.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Euonymus fortunei, the spindle, Fortune's spindle, winter creeper or wintercreeper, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to east Asia, including China, Korea, the Philippines and Japan. E. fortunei is highly invasive and damaging in the United States, causing the dea...