Euonymus americanus L.

American Strawberry Bush; Hearts a Bustin' with Love

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Hearts a Bustin' with Love is a native deciduous shrub in the Bittersweet family (Celastraceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Hearts a Bustin' with Love occurs in mesic forests, along streams and rivers, on rocky slopes, in ravines, and along roadsides. It is a multi-branched, spindly shrub reaching heights of 6-9 feet. The stems are arching, green in color, and weakly 4-angled. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, glabrous, with toothed margins. Flowers are produced in terminal or axillary 1-3 flowered inflorescences. Individual flowers are on long, thin stalks. Each flower has 5 green sepals and 5 green or purplish petals. The fruit is a 5-angled, warty capsule. The fruit becomes red when mature and splits to expose the orange-red seed within. Hearts a Bustin' with Love is an interesting shrub when in fruit. It is available from some nurseries, or can be rooted from cuttings taken in late summer or fall. It can also be grown from seed. The seed should be planted soon after collecting and allowed to over winter out doors or in a cold frame. It prefers a moist, organic rich soil in full to partial shade. In areas with a large number of deer or rabbits the plants may have to be protected with a cage. Birds consume the fruit.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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