FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Green branches and attractive fruits distinctive. Fruits appear like strawberries or bursting hearts; toxic if eaten in large quantities.
Synonym(s): Euonymus americana
Description: Small deciduous shrub to 2 or 3 m, but most commonly 1 m.
Leaves: Opposite, serrated, lance-shaped leaves. Deciduous leaves slow to drop, sometimes lasting until early winter.
Flowers/Fruit: Small light green, 5-petaled flowers. Fruit is bumpy, lobed, reddish capsule which splits into 3 to 5 sections, exposing orange or red seeds. Blooms May/June; fruits September/October.
Habit and Range: Stream banks, slopes, rich woodlands throughout North Carolina.
Taxonomic Note: Also known as Bursting-heart and Hearts-a-busting.
