burning-bush euonymus

Leaves

Form

• Oval, long-pointed

Length

• 5–12 cm

Autumn colour

• Red

Margin

• Finely toothed

Petiole

• About 1 cm long

Buds

Form

• Terminal bud present, ovoid, pointed
• 6 narrow scales
• Lateral buds pressed against the twig

Length

• Terminal bud 2–4 mm

Colour

• Green tinged with red

Twigs

Form

• Smooth
• Somewhat 4-sided

Colour

• Greenish

Flowers

Form

• Small, in cymes

Colour

• Purplish

Structure

• Synoecious

Fruits

Form

• Capsules
• 4 prominent lobes
• Splitting to reveal 4 seeds
• Seeds enclosed in a fleshy aril
• Remain on the tree after the leaves have fallen
• Dispersed by birds

Width

• 10–14 mm

Colour

• Aril bright orange-red

Autumn colour

• Aril pink when ripe

Structure

• Capsule

Bark

Colour

• Greenish-grey streaked with reddish-brown

Size

Height

• To 6 m
• The only native euonymus species reaching tree size

Habitat

Site

• Along streams, on floodplains, and in moist woodlands
• Occasionally in rocky woods