I don’t know where you are in zone 7, but this is a problem plant for many parts of the US, seeding invasively into wild areas. See note on the Missouri Botanic site, and there is a link as to where this plant is invasive in the ecological sense.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c206

There are other variegated or evergreen plants you can substitute though since my growing zone is so different I will let others do the recommending.

If you want to add your state or nearest large city by your zone in your profile, it will post automatically along with the zone. This is useful since zone 7 varies a lot depending if you are on Martha’s Vineyard or in WA or OK or NM or SC or mountainous areas of CA.

I am not going to argue invasiveness - if this plant is listed as invasive in your area, I wouldn't plant. It is not in mine and it is widely used in ornamental landscapes simply because it is such a tough and adaptable plant.

One statement of note in the MOBOT listing: "‘Emerald Gaiety’ is a variegated, shrubby form with a spreading habit that typically grows to 3-5’ tall over time. It is erect and densely branched, featuring rounded glossy deep emerald green leaves (to 1 3/4” diameter) with irregular but attractive creamy white margins. Leaf margins acquire pink tones as winter approaches. Flowers are sparse, and sometimes do not appear. If given support, ‘Emerald Gaiety’ can be trained to climb."

In all my years of gardening, I have never seen this plant flower so spreading by seed dispersal may not be a significant factor. Same with its yellow variegated cousin, 'Emerald and Gold'.

You can check your state's invasive plants listing - every state has one. And some - like mine - have it broken down into even smaller areas and by the seriousness of the invasive threat.

I have seen it flowering here, but haven’t seen it escaping since I am not sure seeds actually mature here. The link on the MOBOT page I gave you has a link to the EGE page of an invasive plant atlas with maps for each plant, so you can check there also.

1818 Fed, I realize your zone since your posts have that by your name, but my point was that depending where in the world your zone 7b is, your climate, soil, etc. will vary. OK has alkaline soil and is fairly dry with regular temperatures over 100, while Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard have few temperature extremes hot or cold, sandy acid soil, and regular rain. USDA zones only tell us your average coldest winter temperatures, but nothing about summer heat, soil texture or pH, or typical rainfall. So if you add general location info, you are more likely to get helpful recommendations. I am guessing that you are in the SE US, but that is just a guess. If you are coastal, soil may be sandy, but most of the SE has dense clay, and knowing what your soil is like is helpful.

im in VA. Better soil than avg for the region. We've seemed to keep the soil loose and dark (not clay not sandy) . most areas drain well; though i have added Perlite and pebbles in places.

spent 15 distracted mins answering this post ... and houzzz ate it ... H is doing some funky things this morning .... if i have the patience later ... i will redo it ... ken

The euonymus IS listed as invasive in VA so I would opt for some other plant choice :-) And here is a link to your state's invasive species list: VA invasive plant species.

@ Ken , My 2 a.m. insomnia experience!

Like ivy Euonymus fortunei starts on the ground but morphs into a clinging climber - planted in that spot it would eventually start growing up the building.

Also in my area these get turned into confetti when planted in the same situations near walls (and under low-branching trees) that seem to encourage extra attention by weevils.

full sun is 6 to 8 hours .... your claim of 7 hours is within the definition of full .... its not an issue ....

scale is also a big issue with Es ... and the reason i got rid of the few i had over the years ...

not many plants REQUIRE SHADE .... its more about a plant the will TOLERATE shade ... the only downside would be the darker the shade.. the slower some things will growth ... it might reduce vigor ...

your only issue with sun ... is that it is sun in the heat of the day ... and then that is not really a sun issue.. but a watering issue ... in high heat.. some plants cant pump enough water... during such.. to avoid tissue damage .... looking ugly later in the summer ... the issue is then making sure it has enough water to make it thru the day ... which is then part of a soil issue ...

sometimes you end up having to relocate some plants .. due to such.. and thats nbd ....

ken

Weevils are invertebrates that chew holes in leaves. Scale are sucking insects that damage leaves and reduce the plants’ vigor. Either one can leave the plant looking pretty ugly with a serious infestation.

you dont know me well enough to declare me a weevil ... lol ...

i didnt mention such.. so i dont know why you are asking me ... other than you like my prose ...

soooo .. to sum it up.. a weevil is another PIA bug that can attack various plants of all types ... lol ... and if they are deciduous or die to the ground perennials.. come sept.. who cares ...no need to treat ...

and with just about all bugs.. plague years come and go over the decades ... and usually minor infestations can be ignored .... such are usually regional ...

i would not make such information a determinative aspect of purchase .... but its great those above shared the info with you ... if you understand the difference ....

all that said ... INVASIVE-NESS is a deal killer for me ... there is simply too many things to chose from.. to stick with this plant .. period ... and dont go looking at burning bush as an alternative ... lol ...

ken

ps: what is the deal with spell checker.. its like im making up words .... and im pretty sure im not ...

I have this covering a 6 by 10 foot piece of wall. Nothing eats it in my climate but it is a haven for snails. If I shake it they fall out by the dozen. It flowers very sparsely but it does flower. It gets clipped back against the wall about twice a year.