American Euonymus, Strawberry Bush, Hearts-a-Burstin'                   u-ON-i-mus a-mer-i-ka-nus

• Deciduous shrub, open, about 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) high, suckering, stems 4-sided, green.  Leaves opposite, simple, lance-ovate to lanceolate, 4-9 cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, tip pointed (acuminate), base wedge-shaped, serrate, flat medium green, in fall yellow-green to red.  Flowers reddish-greenish, 8 mm wide, 1-3 on a slender stalk, usually 5-petaled (3-5), petals clawed.  Fruit 3-5 lobed, about 1.5 cm across, pink to scarlet, covered with prickly warts, open to reveal seeds (aril) scarlet (source of common name, Hearts-a-Burstin').
• Sun to part shade.  Best on a well drained, humus rich, slightly acid soil.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 5    Native from New York to Florida, west to Texas, an understory plant often found in shady, moist forests.
• americanus: of North America