Strawberry Bush, a really cool native plant

By Matt Stevens, County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent, Pitt County

The many benefits of using native plants in landscapes instead of non-natives are often touted by native plant enthusiasts. Many will tell you that natives are better adapted to our local climate and to our local soils, that they have fewer pest problems, and that they are less invasive. I don’t mean to sound skeptical, as I believe these claims are indeed true, provided the native plants are planted in the right locations (more on that in a minute), but one of the often overlooked reasons to plant natives is that many of them are simply really cool plants. I’ve always been drawn to plants that are just a little bit odd, and our native Euonymus americanus, aka Strawberry bush or Heart’s-a-bursting, is certainly one that fits that category. 

Strawberry Bush, Euonymus americanus fruits and leaves

First off, you might recognize the name Euonymus from other more common landscape plants such as the variegated low-growing Euonymus fortunei (Wintercreeper euonymus), or the more upright evergreen shrub Euonymus japonicus (Japanese euonymus), or the semi-invasive but spectacularly fall-colored Euonymus alatus (Burning bush). Strawberry bush is related to all

of these, but will bear little immediate resemblance to any of them in most gardeners’ eyes.

Though most of the other Euonymus species are rather densely foliated, Strawberry bush has an open, almost airy form, with relatively delicate leaves. Both leaves and stems are the same shade of kelly green, with only the oldest stems having a more traditional brown twig color. The leaves are deciduous and have a reddish fall color. Strawberry bush has tiny white flowers during May, though they are not overwhelmingly eye-catching.  

What makes Strawberry bush interesting, and what gives it its common name, is the fruit that follows the flowers. In fall, a pinkish-red capsule that looks a little bit like a strawberry if you squint hard enough, splits open to reveal 4-5 small orange-red berries inside.  Its other common

The fruit that follows the flowers

name, Hearts-a-bursting, is a reference to the appearance of the fruit after it’s split open. The fruit aren’t as abundant on each bush as the berries on a holly or beautyberry bush, but they are the type of thing that you see and immediately say, “What the heck is that?”

The strawberry bush's immature fruit

As I mentioned, placement of natives is important.  If you take a native plant that likes wet soil and shade and plant it in a hot, dry, sunny location, it’s not going to thrive, native or not. People make this mistake with dogwoods all the time, and much of the benefit of being native is lost due to poor

placement. Strawberry bush grows best in partial shade and moist soils. Some resources will tell you that they can also tolerate drought and full sun, but I have never seen one thriving in those conditions and thus it seems best to plant them in our landscapes in areas similar to where they grow naturally–moist, wooded areas with high organic matter soils.

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardener Infoline at 252-902-1705.