EUONYMUS

genus of about 170 species of shrubs, woody climbers, and small trees, in the staff tree family (Celastraceae), native to temperate Asia, North America, and Europe. The genus includes many popular landscape ornamental shrubs and ground covers. Winter creeper euonymus (E. fortunei, or E. radicans), from East Asia, climbs by aerial rootlets; it has glossy, evergreen leaves and clusters of greenish flowers followed by orange fruits. Its many cultivated varieties include bigleaf, glossy, sarcoxie, baby, longwood, and purpleleaf, widely used in landscaping. The winged spindle tree (E. alata), also called burning bush (q.v.), is a handsome shrub with corky winged stems. The common spindle tree (E. europaea), which grows to 6 m (20 feet), keeps its pink and orange fruits after the leaves fall. In eastern Europe gutta-percha resin is extracted from this plant. The wood is used for pegs and spindles. Several varieties of the spindle tree are grown as ornamentals. Another species called burning bush is E. atropurpurea, also known as wahoo, from eastern North America; it is similar to E. europaea but has reddish fruits. The strawberry bush (E. americana) from the same region is lower and has pinkish fruits.