Local Grower Strawberry Bush

Jun 03, 07:53 AM

Current Headlines: Common name: Strawberry bush, hearts-a-bursting

Botanical name: Euonymus americanus

Family: Bittersweet (Celastraceae)

Category: Fruiting shrub

Primary uses: Native garden

Dimensions: 4-6 feet tall by 3-5 feet wide

Culture: Light shade to full shade; best in rich, humusy soil, but will tolerate poor conditions. If happy, it can sucker to form colonies. Susceptible to Euonymus scale.

Fruit time: Early fall

Color: Pink to red capsule opening to display bright red seeds.

General attributes: The brilliant fruit of this native shrub is ample reason to grow it in a woodland setting. The green stems make this plant attractive during the winter, as well as summer.

More information: Look in Michael Dirr's "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants" or on the Web at www.floridata. com/ ref/e/ euon_ame.cfm.

- Mark Weathington

* Mark Weathington, who has a master's degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech, is director of horticulture at Norfolk Botanical Garden. For questions on this feature, contact him at mark.weathington@nbgs.org or write to him at Gracious Living, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, VA 23510; fax: (757) 446-2963. Look for featured plants at area garden centers or in catalogs.

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