Euonymus americanus (American Strawberry Bush) Unity Grown

Commonly called American strawberry bush or 'hearts a'busting' for its ornamental fruits and attractive fall color, Euonymus americanus is a native, deciduous shrub found throughout the south and mid-Atlantic, from Texas to New Jersey. Low-maintenance and suckering in habit, American strawberry bush is a larger shrub capable of growing to 6-12' tall and wide in the wild under ideal conditions, but typically reaches only 4-6' tall and wide in the home landscape.

Blooming in spring with relatively inconspicuous flowers, the real show for American strawberry bush is in the late summer and fall, when its explosive-looking red fruits and showy red fall foliage are on full display. As a relative of the beautiful but invasive burning bush (Euonymus alatus), bursting heart has the same striking red colors , but with a ton more ecological benefits. Euonymus americanus tolerates a wide variety of poor and clay-rich soils, but also tolerates some seasonal inundation as well as drought. Tolerant of all levels of light exposure, American strawberry bush is a great choice for woodland gardens and naturalized hedgerows, but also works beautifully as a specimen planting for full sun and part shade environments.