Yes, of course you are right. Don't know why my hands and brain were not connected. My only "excuse" is that I had just come in from tending to the Weigela.

the key word you want is rejuvenation .. see link .. it can be used with any shrub name ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Euonymus+fortunei+rejuvenation&t=ffcm&ia=web

you might also want to look for scale ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Euonymus+fortunei+scale&t=ffcm&ia=web

imo.. 10 years on a shrub without some form of rejuvenation ... is pretty good..

ken

Thanks for that info. I'm familiar with the term but never been brave enough to do it. I'll get to work on it next day or two.

but never been brave enough to do it.

==>>> well the plant called your bluff .. and made itself so ugly.. you gotta do something.. lol ...

ken

I now have some understanding of what to do, but it seems I've missed the "window of opportunity" to rejuvenate them this spring by a month or so. The shrubs in the yard all seem to be well into their spring growth phase, and I think this project needed to be done before that point. That said, I don't see any new growth emerging on the Emerald Gaiety for whatever reason. I have looked closely for scale and didn't see any.

You can cut them back now. Not a problem.

Well, I did it. Time will tell. I have this nagging doubt in the back of my mind that I am now a plant murderer. I hope the judge takes my good intentions into consideration.