Euonymus atropurpurea Jacq. - Wahoo


 

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Euonymus atropurpurea - (image 1 of 6)

 

Taxonomy

Family: Celastraceae

Habitat

Wooded stream banks and shaded floodplains. This specimen was found growing in a wooded thicket at the edge of a prairie restoration.

Associates

I recall this one was growing with Prunus americana.

Distribution

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Morphology

Large shrub or small tree. Leaves opposite, simple, elliptic, 1.5-5" long and .75-2.25" wide, acuminate, serrulate, dark green, underside pubescent. Buds small, green tinged red, appressed, with 5 to 6 scales. Stems are slender, green-brown, glabrous, more or less 4-angled. Older stems develop corky striations. Flowers small, deep purple, petals 4, in 2-3 branched cymes of 7 to 15 flowers. Fruit a smooth, deeply 4-lobed capsule, red. Seed brown with red aril.

Notes

Flowers late May to early July

Wetland indicator: Facultative-

An understated plant that could be cultivated more. The flowers are largely inconspicuous but the fruits are quite showy. Fall color reddish-purple.

Bibliography

Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants:
Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.
5th ed. Champaign, Illiois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

 

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

 


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 Michael Hough © 2004