Illinois Exotic Species:
wintercreeper or climbing Euonymus fortunei

Wintercreeper is a woody vine native to Asia. It has simple, leathery, oppositely-arranged leaves. The small, yellow-green flowers are borne in clusters during June. The fruit is a smooth capsule that splits open in the fall to reveal a red covering over the black seeds. The seeds are dispersed by birds in their wastes throughout woodlands. Wintercreeper vines grow on the ground, covering native wildflowers and threatening their survival. The prolific formation of adventitious roots allows this vine to climb and interfere with the growth of trees.

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