eastern wahoo Celastraceae Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. symbol: EUAT5 Leaf: Opposite, simple, elliptical, 2 1/2 to 4 inches long, finely serrated, long pointed, green above, paler and may be pubescent below. Flower: Perfect, inconspicuous (1/3 inch across), 4 dark purple petals with whitish anthers, appearing in late spring in multiple branched clusters. Fruit: 4-lobed capsule, 1/2 inch across, pink to purple in color, splits open to reveal dark red seeds, ripens in fall. Twig: Slender, green turning brown with age, maybe 4-sided, leaf scars are light brown (nearly white) and obvious against green twig; buds are green and sharp pointed. Bark: Thin, greenish-brown to reddish brown, shallow longitudinal splits. Form: A low branching shrub that reaches 20 feet in height. Looks like: winged euonymus - strawberry bush - spindletree - wintercreeper Additional Range Information: Euonymus atropurpureus is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting eastern wahoo. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson