A white flush, not a white edge
Almost the whole young blade opens creamy white, creating a solid luminous crown rather than the narrow border of a conventional variegated shrub.
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The white crown of your garden 👑
Family: Celastraceae · Pot diameter: 13cm · Height: 20cm
Euonymus ‘paloma-blanca’® looks as though someone switches on a white light inside its foliage every spring. New leaves open almost pure white above the dense, dark-green core, creating a contrast that reads from across the garden without relying on flowers. As the leaves mature they turn green, so the shrub changes scene naturally while remaining neat and evergreen — an inspired choice for giving an entrance, terrace pot or mixed border an immediately finished look.
Beside an entrance it becomes a luminous welcome, while in a large pot or mixed planting it acts as a natural focal point. Its deep-green interior gives the crown beautiful depth, and the white tips return with every fresh flush, renewing the display without changing its clean, elegant structure. It pairs beautifully with burgundy, gold and dark-green foliage.
Three defining traits of Paloma Blanca® (‘Lankveld03’) explain its dramatic yet entirely natural transformation through the year.
Almost the whole young blade opens creamy white, creating a solid luminous crown rather than the narrow border of a conventional variegated shrub.
Young white leaves gradually turn green as they mature; the next flush restores the contrast above the older foliage.
Short internodes and numerous upright shoots keep the crown full from low down, taller than wide but never rigidly conical.
Why you will love it: it gives you two convincing looks from one evergreen plant: a brilliant white spring flare and a calm, dense green structure afterwards.
Give it sun or bright partial shade, preferably morning light with some protection from fierce reflected afternoon heat. Use it beside an entrance, in a low evergreen boundary, a mixed border or an outdoor pot, leaving a simple background around the fresh white tips.
Darker, broader or more linear foliage makes the white flush read clearly while sharing its need for light and free drainage.
Sun to bright partial shade; protect the near-white young leaves from fierce reflected heat.
Water regularly while establishing, then deeply when the upper few centimetres dry; never leave the root waterlogged.
RHS hardiness H5, roughly −15 to −10°C in free-draining ground once established.
All parts may cause discomfort if eaten; keep away from children and pets that chew plants.
In a mild position it can take several hours of sun. On a south-facing terrace with strong reflected heat, favour morning sun and light shade during the hottest hours, as the almost-white new growth is more vulnerable to scorching.
Choose fertile, well-drained soil, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Organic matter helps retain even moisture without allowing water to collect around the roots.
Check it regularly during the first few months and water deeply when the surface begins to dry. The aim is to moisten the entire root ball, then allow air to return to it before watering again.
Once established it tolerates brief drier spells, but prolonged summer drought can dull the foliage. Water thoroughly when the top few centimetres have dried, then let all excess water drain.
Choose a stable outdoor pot with clear drainage holes and an aerated growing mix. Move up in pot size gradually, only after the roots have used the available space, and never leave water in the saucer.
One light application of a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring is usually enough. Excess nitrogen produces soft, vulnerable growth and loosens the naturally dense habit.
Remove dead or wayward shoots and shape lightly after the white flush has turned green. Pruning just as the white tips open removes the cultivar’s main seasonal display.
Its H5 hardiness rating covers a considerable degree of winter cold, although roots freeze more readily in a pot. Protect the base during prolonged frost and remove fallen leaves that trap moisture inside the crown.
Visible growth may pause while fine roots occupy the surrounding soil.
New upright shoots open near-white leaves above the older green core.
Those leaves mature to green while repeated branching builds the final dense 70–80 × 35–60cm crown.
Numerous upright stems build a dark-green core; active spring growth brightens only the youngest outer tips.
The white belongs only to new growth; its proportion changes naturally with season, light and growth rate.
What to expect after planting: The plant will direct its energy into rooting first, then become denser with new upright shoots. The amount of white growth visible on arrival depends on the season: a healthy summer plant may be mainly green and brighten again with its next flush.
The story of Euonymus japonicus Paloma Blanca® (‘Lankveld03’) begins in summer 2004 at Elsendorp in the Netherlands. Martinus van Lankveld noticed a single branch on Euonymus japonicus ‘Francien’ whose new leaves opened far whiter than those of the parent while retaining a dense, upright habit. It appeared naturally as a distinctive branch rather than as a seedling.
The distinctive shoot was isolated and propagation began in 2006. New plants consistently retained the same seasonal transition from near-white to green, and the selection was named ‘Lankveld03’. It is now known botanically as Euonymus japonicus Paloma Blanca® (‘Lankveld03’).
Near-white colour covers the whole young blade and recedes as the tissue matures and greens.
Successive leaf pairs are approximately 90° apart, a decussate arrangement that helps fill visual gaps in the crown.
Six practical answers about the white flush, light, mature size, container growing, pruning and safety.
No. New leaves open almost white and turn green as they mature; the next growth flush restores the white crown.
It needs abundant light, but not necessarily all-day sun. Morning sun and bright afternoon shade protect the youngest leaves in hot sites.
Allow approximately 70–80cm in height and 35–60cm in spread, influenced by light, pruning and root space.
Yes, in a stable outdoor pot with open drainage, an aerated mix and deep watering only as the upper layer dries.
Carry out the main light shaping after the white growth has greened; remove damaged shoots whenever conditions are mild.
It is not edible and all parts may cause discomfort if swallowed, so keep it away from children and pets likely to chew plants.