Euonymus Atropurpureus - Native Trees of North America
This is an excerpt from the Book called “NATIVE TREES FOR NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPES “. Continue reading to learn more about ” Euonymus Atropurpureus – Native Trees of North America” , thanks to the author.
Euonymus atropurpureus
Wahoo
DESCRIPTION: Many people are familiar with the introduced winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus), which has escaped from cultivation to become a serious weed species in some natural forest areas. Some also know of the exotic winter creeper (E. fortune), which can overtop trees and crowd out native wildflowers. Few are aware, however, of the several attractive native species of Euonymus, one of which can become an appealing small tree.
The wahoo, or strawberry tree, is an understory species of rich woods and stream valleys throughout most of eastern North America. It sprouts from the roots and commonly forms loose clonal thickets under favorable conditions in shady forests, but it can become a dense, symmetrical, flat-topped small tree under cultivation in open areas. The largest known Wahoo tree grows in Michigan, standing 32 feet (9.6 m) tall with a stem 7 inches (17.5 cm) in diameter.
LEAVES: All Euonymus leaves are arranged in pairs along the twigs. Those of our native wahoo become larger than most, reaching 5 inches (12.5 cm) or more in length. They seem as one with the fresh lime-colored twigs, looking as though molded from the same green plastic in a single pour. The red fall color of this species is similar to that of the exotic winged burning-bush but free of the clashing magenta overtones that can make winged burning bush so difficult to place in the landscape.
FLOWERS AND FRUIT: Wahoo flowers hang in branching clusters from the new twigs in early summer. They are mostly hidden by leaves but add a fine texture and can be visually effective when the canopy is viewed from below, as on a patio specimen. Each tiny purple flower has four petals and develops into the four-parted fruit that is the best ornamental feature of this fruit.
In late summer the fruit capsules gradually color to white, then to rosy pink. Later they split open to expose shiny red-skinned seeds similar to those of magnolias. Wahoo usually fruits annually, and some individuals bear very heavily. They seeds are released gradually through fall and early winter, remaining ornamental for an extended period because birds such as bluebirds and mockingbirds use them only sparingly for emergency rations when their preferred foods are unavailable. Lasting well into the new year, wahoo ranks alongside deciduous hollies (Ilex) at the top of the winter color display.
BEST SEASONS: Fall (for the dependable, long lasting fruit display and red foliage). WINTER (for the remnant fruits and bright green twigs).
NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE RANGE: Wahoo can be found in mesic woodlands from Toronto south to northern Tennessee and west to central Kansas, with outlying groups extending into southeastern North Dakota, central taxes, and near Florida. It seems most at home in the Midwest and can be grown under cultivation north into USDA zone 3.
CULTURE: Wahoo is among our most shade-tolerant woody plants, yet it grows well and becomes an attractive dense specimen in full sun. It prefers a rich forest soil but has no special drainage or pH requirements as long as sufficient moisture is present during the growing season. Its dense, shallow mass of roots makes it very easy to transplant during the dormant season.
PROBLEMS: Wahoo is not immune to the Asian scale insect (Unaspis euonymi) that plagues other members of the genus. It is also a highly preferred browse species for deer and rabbits and should be protected from them until it outgrows their reach. The seeds are reportedly poisonous to humans but are eaten by wildlife. Wahoo is one of the few native understory trees that can tolerate high levels of ozone pollution without sustaining foliar damage.
Occasional root suckers may be pulled by the gardener as they occur (or they may be mowed down by rabbits) if a single-stemmed tree is desired, or the plant may be allowed to form a clump. Suckering seems to be less prevalent on wahoos grown as specimen trees in open settings than on those growing in the forest understory.
CULTIVARS: No cultivars are listed for this species. Selections should probably be made for fall color and for superior fruit displays, since these characteristics seem to vary from tree to tree.
SIMILAR AND RELATED SPECIES: Other North American Euonymus species, such as E. americanus, are low or running shrubs. There are Asian and European species that develop into small trees similar to wahoo, and many popular horticultural selections have been derived from some of the exotic species. Chief among them are E.yeddoensis, E. hamiltonianus, and E. europaeus. All are attractive small trees with nice fruit displays, but they can become invasive, and none is more colorful than our own native species.
COMMENTS: For a horticulturist, the root system of wahoo is a joy to behold. A small specimen, dug from silty forest soil and plunged into a bucket or nearby brook to flush the roots clean, reveals a fine, luxuriant, fibrous white root mass that any plant propagator would admire.
The pink-popcorn fruit capsules of wahoo, reminiscent of bittersweet (Celastrus), are distinctive in fall and sufficient reason to giver this small tree a place in the ornamental landscape. They are especially effective after the leaves have fallen, and are useful in cut floral displays. Wahoo and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) make good companion plants: the combination of yellow flowers and red-popcorn fruit in late fall makes a great Thanksgiving display, beginning with the Canadian Thanksgiving in early October and lasting through the late November Thanksgiving celebrated in the United States.
