Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Anyone know about a shrub called 'Cardinal's Cap'?, 0 by Leftwood

Leftwood wrote:
I have lived in MN for 50 years, and that's the only thing I can think of. We have a wild Euonymus species that grows in the southern half of the state that would fit the bill. (Nearly all Euonymus species have the same type of capsule, but there are very few that actually fruit to any extent that people grow in MN.) What most people call (Winged)Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata) is a Euonymus that doesn't hardly fruit here. Except for the groundcover types, I don't think there are any Euonymus species that will survive the northern half of the state. So if your church friend is from the southern half of MN, I think you have your ID.

Be aware, though, that except for the native species to your area, most Euonymus species that are bushes are invasive east of my location. That would include Indiana. Euonymus is included in your Indiana's Invasive Plant Pests list http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/CAPS/plants.html

I do grow a few different E species that fruit prolifically, but except for E. nanus turkestanicus (Pic below), I had to mail order the plants. The capsules look much more like a cardinal's cap with the four "ribs" before they open and reveal the red (or orange) seeds within.

Rick