In my mind, at least, “euonymus” has a bad name. Not only is it difficult to spell and hard to pronounce, the infamous burning bush (Euonymus alatus), is a member of the family. Burning bushes, although still sold through catalogs, nurseries and big box stores have become notoriously invasive – at least in southern Indiana. Why? Birds eat the seeds, fly away and, er…”eliminate” them somewhere else.

In another two or three weeks, the understory of woodlands around here will be a brilliant red because of all the burning bush volunteers. These invaders crowd out native plants and deprive wildlife from the foods they evolved to eat and digest – not even the deer seem to like them. It’s another example of how a plant which is perfectly wonderful in its home range can become a very unwelcome visitor somewhere else in the world.

Strawberry Bush

There is a “country cousin” to burning bush; a native shrub, Euonymus americanus, commonly called “strawberry bush”.  Although a member of the Euonymus clan, it’s native to the southeastern United States and knows how to behave itself.

This deciduous shrub, hardy from Zones 6 to 9, is happy in wooded areas and even does well in boggy spots. Mine is growing in part shade where it gets whatever rain happens to fall and is doing just fine. It’s not a demanding plant, needing little fertilizer, extra watering or pruning.

Around April, it puts out small, white blooms, not particularly noticeable, although I do see small sized pollinators visiting them. The plant gets interesting when the seed pods appear; they are a bright pink and look a bit like a strawberry, if you use some imagination. As the seed pods ripen, around early to mid-September, they split open to display four very bright orange seeds. As autumn progresses, the foliage turns a bright crimson red, very similar to the invasive burning bush. So, you can have your showy red foliage without adding to the problem.

Internet sources say that deer like this plant and is susceptible to Euonymus scale and crown gall. I haven’t noticed any problems.

Like many native plants, strawberry bush has several other colorfully descriptive names: wahoo, fish wood, burning bush, brook euonymus, bursting heart and hearts-a-burstin-love. When you see the seeds pop open, you’ll understand why the last two names are so appropriate.

It has some strong medicinal properties, so don’t eat or make teas out of any part of it (unless you’re an experienced herbalist).

Stay Green, good Friends!