About

Euonymus americanus is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. Common names include strawberry bush, American strawberry bush, bursting-heart, hearts-a-bustin, and hearts-bustin'-with-love. It is native to the eastern United States, its distribution extending as far west as Texas. It has also been recorded in Ontario.

This is a deciduous shrub growing up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall. The oppositely arranged leaves are leathery or papery in texture and measure up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long. Flowers are borne in the leaf axils on peduncles up to 2.2 cm (0.87 in) long. The yellow-green sepals are 1 or 2 cm (0.39 or 0.79 in) long and the greenish or reddish petals above are smaller. The fruit capsule is about 1.5 cm (0.59 in) wide with a red warty or spiny covering. The capsule splits into five sections, revealing seeds covered in bright red arils.

Where it grows

Although Euonymus americanus L. is one of the 1,300 species members in the Celastraceae family, it is the only species that is found exclusively in the United States. The American strawberry bush is found in wetland areas such as margins of swamps, shaded stream banks, and sloped wetlands. However, though it resides in moist areas, it is not a flood tolerant species; therefore, only being able to grow in moderately saturated soils. The shrub can grow in shaded conditions.

Other Euonymus plants

Euonymus acanthocarpus · Euonymus aculeatus · Euonymus acuminifolius · Burningbush · Euonymus angulatus · Burningbush · Fleshy Flowered Spindle Tree · Euonymus castaneifolius · Euonymus cochinchinensis · Euonymus cornutus · Euonymus dichotomus · Euonymus dielsianus