Euonymus Species, American Strawberry Bush, Brook Euonymus, Bursting Heart, Hearts-a-Burstin

We were camping at our future retirement homesite (Houston County, TN) when we came across this green-twigged plant with strange fruit. ...Read MoreNot able to identify it at the time, we hated the idea of it being destroyed during construction and so attempted to move it. This effort turned into such a brutal struggle that we feared the odd shrub would not survive. It was so weak I put it on a trellis and tried to cut away some surrounding tree branches so it would get a little sun. Bit by bit the plant grew stronger (and I found out what it was.) This past summer I was afraid to go back into the brush to check on it because we've had so many snakes this year, and feared the plant had died during the drought. Yesterday it was cool enough to go back there and I am delighted to report the "hearts-a-burstin' " has added branches and put out a great crop of larger fruit than ever. Apparently it likes dry shade!

zone 4 hardy

It definetly likes it moist and semi-shady. I have them in a spot where they get the pm sun. A dependable performer it stays inconspicu...Read Moreous until fall when it steals the show!

* Special thanks to "TomH3787 and plantladylin" for identifying it for me, I did'nt know what it was!!

Beautiful fruits! Really brightens the autumn and early winter flower bed in Alabama.

I had planted the parent plant in what I thought was adequate shade and when it became clear to me that the plant would not survive I gav...Read Moree it to my daughter; in the process I dislodged a small stem w/ only 2 leaves at the distal end. I potted that stem - thinking it would never root; it has flourished in a small pot in deep shade and is a very attractive plant.

I have observed that the strawberry bush grows primarily on soils on the acid side of neutral, whereas its cousin the eastern wahoo is pr...Read Moreimarily found on circumneutral or limestone-based soils. Strawberry bush also seems to appreciate more shade, where eastern wahoo can happily grow in much sunnier drier sites. A partner in woodlands with Viburnum acerifolium and Lindera benzoin, Euonymus americanus is a fine little indigenous shrub that is a beneficial addition to any native landscape.

I found this plant growing in the woods where we live (Columbus, GA). Had no idea what it was until I saw it growing at Callaway Gardens ...Read More(Pine Mountain, GA) and it was labelled 'Strawberry Bush'. I moved the plant out of the woods into our yard in a partial sun location. That was 3 years ago and it's doing great. Also found another one growing in the woods and moved it to another partial sun location in our yard last fall, but the deer also found it! This one has not done as well as the other one. I have noticed that the first one is planted near our pond and the other one is in the front yard where I have to water it more. The first one stays green, flowers, and now has lots of red seed pods on it. The one in the front will be moved this fall to the back near the pond. It has no seed pods and very few leaves.

A delightful native plant that doesn't get noticed until it reveals it's hot pink fruit capsules with orange-red seeds in late summer. U...Read Moresually grows in the shady understory of larger trees along streams. Deer and rabbits love to eat it and turkeys enjoy the fruits. The seeds have a laxative effect and the bark induces vomiting, among other purported uses. This plant is rare in Missouri but is common in many other states from Florida and Texas to New York and Indiana.

Inconspicuous shrub except in fruit. Lovely find in wooded areas.

This plant, also known as "Hearts-a -Bustin" is native to Zone 7b. The inconspicuous pale yellow flowers are followed in the fall by spec...Read Moretacular magenta capsules containing bright orange seeds. It is a delightful sight in the otherwise dull understory of the fall forest in this region.