A Bright Gold Evergreen Groundcover That Shines Through Winter

Gold Splash Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei 'Gold Splash') is the brightest of the wintercreepers — glossy green leaves boldly splashed and edged in vivid gold, held year-round on a low, spreading evergreen. It hugs the ground as a colorful groundcover, drapes over walls and edges, and tolerates sun, shade, clay, and tough urban sites. Whether you want a glowing gold carpet under a Maple Grove tree, an evergreen edger spilling over an Edina retaining wall, or off-season color in a Woodbury bed, Gold Splash brings light to the landscape all year.

Gold Splash Wintercreeper Plant Details

Gold Splash Wintercreeper Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Bright Evergreen Groundcover

Lower and more spreading than other wintercreepers, Gold Splash makes an excellent gold groundcover for slopes, bed fronts, and tough spots under trees, knitting together to suppress weeds and glowing through the off-season. Space plants about 3 feet apart.

Edging and Wall Spiller

Its trailing habit looks great spilling over a retaining wall, raised bed, or border edge, softening hard lines with bright evergreen color.

Shade-Tolerant Winter Color

It handles more shade than most variegated plants and keeps its gold through a Minnesota winter — a useful, hard-to-find combination for shaded foundations and under-tree plantings.

Best Time to Plant Gold Splash Wintercreeper in Minnesota

Plant in spring (May, after the ground thaws) for the longest establishment window — the safest choice for a broadleaf evergreen here. Early fall (late August–mid September) can also work if you plant early enough to root in before freeze. Avoid mid-summer heat and never plant after mid-October.

How to Plant Gold Splash Wintercreeper

1. Choose a spot sheltered from harsh winter sun and wind — the biggest factor in keeping the evergreen leaves clean through winter.
2. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep, so the crown sits at or slightly above grade.
3. Loosen heavy clay and mix in 20–30% compost; ensure the spot drains well.
4. Set the plant, backfill, firm gently, and water in thoroughly.
5. Space plants about 3 feet apart for a groundcover effect.
6. Mulch 2 inches with shredded bark, kept off the stems, to insulate roots and hold moisture.

Watering Gold Splash Wintercreeper in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

Weeks 1–2: water deeply every 2–3 days. Month 1–2: about twice a week. Month 3–6: roughly weekly during active growth, easing off when rainfall is adequate. Give it a deep soak just before the ground freezes — broadleaf evergreens lose moisture through their leaves all winter, and going into freeze well-watered helps prevent winter burn.

After Year One

An established Gold Splash is quite drought-tolerant, needing supplemental water mainly during extended dry spells. Continue the late-fall deep soak each year for winter protection.

Will Gold Splash Wintercreeper survive a Minnesota winter? In zone 5a, yes, especially in a sheltered spot. In colder, exposed zone-4b sites it's marginal — plant it out of harsh winter sun and wind, mulch well, water deeply before freeze, and count on reliable snow cover. As a low groundcover, snow cover protects it especially well. Some leaf burn in a tough winter is normal and grows out in spring.

Does it really stay evergreen here? Yes — it holds its bright gold-variegated leaves year-round, which is the whole appeal.

Is it native to Minnesota? No — wintercreeper is native to Asia. It's vigorous and can root along the ground or climb, so plant it where you can keep it contained and trim as needed.

Does it tolerate shade and clay? Yes to both, though the gold is brightest with more light.

Any pests to watch? Euonymus can get euonymus scale; keep plants healthy and watch for white specks on stems and leaf undersides, treating early if it appears.

You May Also Like

• Canadale Gold Wintercreeper — a taller, gold-edged evergreen wintercreeper.
• Moonshadow Wintercreeper — a mounding evergreen with gold-centered leaves.
• Blue Shadow Fothergilla — a blue-foliage shrub with spring flowers and brilliant fall color.
• Japanese White Spirea — a compact, easy white-flowered shrub.
• Pink Beauty Potentilla — a tough, long-blooming shrub for sunny spots.

How Many Gold Splash Wintercreeper Do I Need?

For a knitted gold groundcover carpet, space plants 3 feet on center (the body's own spacing). Per row:

For beds deeper than 3–4 feet, add a second staggered row at the same spacing. As a wall spiller or bed-edge accent, a group of 3 at 2.5–3 feet apart fills in within two seasons.

Gold Splash Wintercreeper Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Fresh new growth pushes with the boldest gold variegation of the year, quickly re-covering any winter-burned tips.
• Summer: A dense, glossy gold-and-green mat that suppresses weeds and trails over walls and edges; gold stays brightest with good light.
• Fall: Holds its variegated color while perennials die back — the bed edge stays "planted" looking deep into November.
• Winter: Evergreen gold under and above the snow line — rare winter color for a groundcover; snow cover actually protects it in zone 4b.

At a Glance

✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Shade-Tolerant   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Canadale Gold Wintercreeper — the taller gold-edged sibling; use it as the back tier with Gold Splash carpeting the front.
• Moonshadow Wintercreeper — gold-centered leaves on a mounding form for a two-texture evergreen combination.
• Blue Shadow Fothergilla — the body's own pairing; powder-blue foliage above the gold carpet, plus spring bottlebrush blooms and fiery fall color.
• Pink Beauty Potentilla — a tough, long-blooming shrub that flowers all summer above the evergreen mat.

Is Gold Splash Wintercreeper Right for Your Yard?

Choose Gold Splash if you need year-round color in a tough spot — sun or part shade, clay or urban soil, slopes, bed fronts, and wall edges where you can let it knit together; a sheltered site with snow cover is ideal in zone 4b. It's not a fit for exposed, windswept sites with no snow cover (winter burn gets ugly) or for gardeners who want a strictly stay-put plant — it roots as it spreads, so plan to edge it once a year.