Euonymus Mysteries

 

A brilliant fall sight

Since late summer a vivid coral-colored fruit has made an appearance on otherwise ordinary-looking shrubbery along the trails of Halibut Point. A little research reveals these ornaments to be the procreational package of a member of the Euonymus clan. The first question for many people wanting a deeper acquaintance is, how to pronounce that name?

Online you can find phonetic renderings such as /yü-ˈä-nə-məs/ and /uːˈɒnɪməs/. But the simplest, and entirely effective guide is /yoo-on-uh-muhs/. Repeat those syllables a few times to yourself and you'll master the pronunciation of the euonymus genus. Now you can ask further questions out loud more confidently.

Red-eyed Vireo and Euonymus europaeus,
the European Spindletree

The plant that you and this Red-eyed Vireo are looking at is a species brought to North America long ago from Europe where its very hard wood was used to create spindles for wool thread. Interestingly, there was already a native look-alike established here. They can both be found at Halibut Point although they are hard to distinguish. They are in the global family Celastraceae (Bittersweet) which is suggested by the resemblance of these fruit to those on the beautifully rambunctious vine popular for winter decorations.

Seed capsules of Euonymus atropurpureus,
the Eastern (native) Spindletree or Wahoo

The two species differ somewhat in the color of their fruit, which is more crimson in the case of the Eastern Spindletree. When the capsules open both have scarlet arils (seed coverings).

Euonymus europaeus in flower

It's easy to miss the origin phase of either species of Spindletree's fruit when their small greenish-white flowers are in bloom. Various insect pollinators, mostly flies, grasp the opportunity, however. Since bees don't tend to be involved the pollination process may seem mysterious.

 Fruit of the Euonymus alatus, Winged Euonymus

Another member of the clan with a considerable foothold at Halibut Point is the Winged Euonymus. It arrived from Asia as a landscape ornamental in the mid-nineteenth century.

Fall foliage of the Winged Euonymus, or Burning Bush

The Winged Euonymus, or Burning Bush, has achieved great popularity for its fall color and ease of growth in both home landscapes and highway plantings. Its self-seeding adaptability to all environments eventually led to outlaw status on the Massachusetts list of invasive species.

Euonymus fortunei, Wintercreeper

Joining the Winged Euonymus from Asian origins is Wintercreeper, a species seemingly very different until the flowers and fruit are compared.

Wintercreeper ascending a tree

The comparison challenges superficial observation and logic because this euonymus species is a climbing vine with glossy, evergreen foliage. It has equally become a favorite of the domestic landscape industry, for entirely different applications.

Red-eyed Vireo consuming Euonymus europaeus fruit

Catbird

Cardinal

Back in early October the fruit of the European Spindletree was quite popular in the diet of various birds. Mysteriously the remaining fruit seem to be untouched. Red-eyed Vireos have flown off to warmer latitudes but the other species are still here. We think of fruits becoming tastier with chilly weather as their sugar level increases. This will be something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

The botanical name 'euonymus' derives from a combination of Greek words meaning 'of good name': eu- (lucky) +  onoma (name). A deity, the son of Gaia by Uranus, carried this name. We can hope that those remaining fruit on the spindletrees serve the godly function of sustaining more local birds through the winter.