What’s this plant and why are the leaves falling off!?

jennymorning

Hi there - just wondering if anyone can identify this plant? It’s an evergreen bush and doesn’t flower. It’s survived the winter ok and has grown, but now it’s leaves have started falling off. Not sure what could be wrong with it and don’t know the plant name to do any research on it to try and help it! Thanks! 

Hostafan1

euonymus of some sort.

Silver surfer

Agree Euonymus sp.
The flowers are tiny and easily missed.

Very strange.
Leaves have not died or withered.
Something is cutting  then off.

Topbird

That happens with my small. immature euonymus - especially one in the front. Doesn't seem to happen to the larger, more mature bushes.

I suspect it's either wabbits or muntjac having a midnight feast.🤨 Maybe pigeons. Badoodly annoying!

So long as there are buds on the plant it should be ok again in a few weeks time.

robairdmacraignil

Posted links to a video of my own Euonymus which have even more leaves dropping on another gardening forum and someone replied saying they think of these as being only semi evergreen and they think my ones should be fine even though some have lost much more leaves than the one pictured above. Mine had held their leaves right through winter up until a few weeks back but I think the reply I got is correct and think they are going to produce new leaves soon.

Silver surfer

jennymorning ..your Euonymus is healthy,  good and strong.
It will soon grow more leaves.

Euonymus as shown in your pic are not semi evergreen.
They are evergreen. Leaves stay on all winter. 

Agree with Topbird re culprits...maybe check in the evening /early morning for visitors.

jennymorning

Thanks for your comments everyone! We do have a bird feeder next to them and my immediate reaction was that the birds had been at them, so wonder if that’s the case! I’ve given them a water today as the ground was a bit dry and will see how they get on. As I say, they seem to be growing, so hopefully they make a recovery! 

BobTheGardener

Pigeons definitely a possibilty then, given the bird feeder.  They are a menace when feeling frisky and when chasing each other around can cause quite a lot of damage.  Decapitating tulips seems to be one of their favourite pastimes and they will peck at almost anything to see if it's worth eating!

Fairygirl

As @Silver surfer says, Euonymous  are evergreen, although some are hardier than others, but they just turn brown and pop their clogs.

Those ones of @jennymorning have definitely been 'nipped' by something. 

Silver surfer

Fairygirl said:

As @Silver surfer says, Euonymous are evergreen, although some are hardier than others, but they just turn brown and pop their clogs.

Those ones of @jennymorning have definitely been 'nipped' by something. 

Just to clarify.
Quote to Jenny....Euonymus as shown in your pic are not semi evergreen.
They are evergreen. Leaves stay on all winter.

There are many Euonymus sp that are deciduous

Fairygirl

Yes - I meant the type that the OP has - fortunei. I should have clarified.

There are the beautiful spindle trees [ alatus and europaeus ] which are deciduous, and widely grown.