Golden Euonymus (Goldie)

Apr. 2024

April 2024 and my plant odyssey began on the kitchen counter, with a box of peat pots, some plates & scavenged cuttings..cuttings from trees & bushes in the immediate area. 

That included the hedge in front of the apartment building..

These 2 survived, rooted & grew leaves; next step was to pot them, as pictured..

As the larger of the two grew, I decided to try to & mimic a "lollipop" shape to his canopy, a long stem/trunk & rounded shape on top, the shape he retains today

Sept. 2024

After a few more months, I potted the smaller of the two as a "faux-bonsai" & started potting cuttings from other plants. Some lived, some died, but all taught me the basic principles of horticulture & my first experience with miniatures.

The larger of the two was potted in a tray (4"X 6") & allowed to grow-on. This plant will be the focus of the Photo/History, going forward. I called him "Goldie".

Goldie remained in his tray for about 6 months. In December ('24) I potted him in what has become his permanent home.

Dec 2024

After almost a year, the potting medium had compacted & it was time for a re-pot, so in Dec. '25, I repotted "Goldie". 

Some minor root pruning & back in the same pot, with fresh potting soil & top dressing; no foliage pruning, as he has juvenile foliage that is due to open any day now, that will complete the "beach-ball" shape we're trying to develop.

Dec. 2025

(click here to access the ongoing Photo/History page for this plant or use the menu on the RH side of every page)

Update: Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum)

Dec. 13, 2025 

JM is "back-budding"..growing new foliage to replace damaged leaves & growing new foliage on areas of the tree that were formerly bare of shoots or leaves (such as the lower trunk). I've begun "helping" the process along by pruning dead &/or dying leaves & will continue to do so. 

Dec 31, 2025

Removed the last leaf remaining on this tree, this morning; and hopefully, the last of the diseased foliage. New buds are popping up on both trunks & remaining lower branches, back-budding is well underway & a good sign that this tree is on the road to recovery, again.

If he survives, it will do much to change my mind about how delicate and temperamental the Acer's can be. I've been told that growing them in our hot, dry climate is problematic & I've had the experience of losing my first specimen to heat-stroke, so when this tree almost succumbed to a fungal infection, I really did not expect it to survive, but here he is, beat-up, naked, chopped & all, putting out new foliage..well, this is why we do this..the pure wonder of the will to live.

(complete history of this plant at https://www.jerryspatio.com/p/photoshistory-japanese-maple-acer.html )

Here We Go Again..

 It's was just 1 month ago, we had our first "winter" storm & just 2 days before Xmas, here we go again. Spent the morning (Tue) moving all of my "little trees" undercover & out of the wind..well, the worst of it, hopefully.

I moved the seedlings, cuttings, miniatures & the youngest succulents, inside temporarily.

It did not take that long & went surprisingly well, so even if the storm turns out not to be so bad, I am enjoying seeing my small collection from a new perspective.

Dec. 29 - It's Not Over Yet..

It rained pretty good on Christmas & for the next couple of days..the weather people say it was the wettest Xmas recorded, in so. California..it finally cleared over the weekend & I was able to put plants in the sun to dry out before the next round of precipitation starts tomorrow night.

"Is it still raining?"

Forecasts call for wind with the New Years storm, which concerns me more than the rain..while the climate here is mostly benign, the wind can be deadly to young plants, particularly those that are stressed. Typically, they don't react appreciably to either hot or cold, within limits and they don't mind being wet, if not for too long, but add 15-20 kts. of wind to the equation & that can be a real threat to saplings. (sapling is the next stage past seedling, but far from an adult tree)

At least there are no frost/freeze warnings (as yet) but I will keep one-ear tuned to the weather forecast for sure. Meanwhile, all is well here on the patio..Allow me to wish you a Happy New Year..the days are getting longer now & although we will have our share of winter storms, the growing season is coming faster than we think.

UPDATES

 Creeping Fig (Ficus pumila) (click to see update)