Western Burning Bush      Celastraceae–The Spindle Tree Family

Euonymus occidentalis Nutt. ex Torr.

(yew-ON-ih-mus  ok-sih-den-TAY-lis)

Names: Western Burning Bush is also known as Western Wahoo, Western Strawberry Bush or Pawnbroker Bush.  Occidentalis means western.  Burning Bush refers to the fall foliage color; Strawberry Bush alludes to its colorful fleshy seeds. Plants in this genus are generally called Spindle Trees because the wood of some species was traditionally used to make spindles for spinning wool.

Relationships: There are about 175 species of euonymus, or Spindle Trees; mostly native to Asia, they are also found in Europe, Australasia, Madagascar, and North America.   Only four are native to North America, but many ornamental species have been introduced and have naturalized in the east, such as Burning Bush, E. alatus, and European Spindle Tree, E. europaeus. 

Distribution: Western Burning Bush is the only native euonymus on the west coast.  It is found west of the Cascade Mountains from Thurston County in southwest Washington to southern California. In British Columbia, it is only known to occur on Vancouver Island.  It is listed as sensitive in Washington State.

Growth: This species is a straggly shrub growing 6-15 feet (2-5m) tall.

Habitat: It is mostly found in moist woods; sometimes in grassy areas with a few trees.

 

 

Diagnostic Characters: Opposite leaves are oval-shaped, finely toothed with a pointed tip.  Small, greenish or purplish-mottled to bronzy, dark purplish-red flowers are borne in clusters of three in the leaf axils.  Fruit is a 3-lobed capsule, which opens to expose seeds that are covered by a reddish-orange, fleshy aril.  Non-hairy branches have narrow, parallel, longitudinal lines or grooves.

In the Landscape: Hitchcock writes that Western Burning Bush “is probably classed as a botanical collector’s item rather than a plant of much horticultural merit.”  This spindly shrub may, however, be useful in a shady corner of the garden.  It has a nice yellow to orange-red fall color–although not as brilliant as the cultivated Burning Bush, E. alatus, it is bright enough in stand out in the shade.  The fleshy orange-red arils are an interesting feature of this plant.

Phenology: Bloom time:  May-June; Fruit ripens: September-November.

Propagation:  No information is available for the species, but seeds of plants in the genus Euonymus generally require 3-4 months stratification at 32-50º F (0-10º C).  Euonymous is easily propagated from cuttings (hardwood cuttings in early spring) or from layering.

Use by People:

Use by Wildlife:  Birds digest the fleshy seed coat and disperse the seeds in their droppings.  Flowers are pollinated by insects.  The ASPCA lists this plant as toxic to horses, cats and dogs.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Soapberry                                                          Eleagnaceae–The Oleaster Family

Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt.

(Shep-HER-dee-uh  Kan-uh-DEN-sis)

Names: Soapberry is also commonly known as Canadian or Russet Buffaloberry, Rabbitberry, Soopolallie, or Foamberry.  Common names refer to how its crushed red berries can be whipped into a foam.  In Chinook Jargon “soop” means soap and “ollalie” means berry. Shepherdia is named for John Shepherd,” once a curator of Liverpool Botanic Gardens; canadensis means “of Canada.”

 

 

 

Relationships: Several shrubs in this family, such as Oleaster, Elaeagnus angustifolia, are grown ornamentally for their silvery or golden foliage.  Silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata, is an inland native, also grown ornamentally.  Shepherdia is a genus with only three species native to northern and western North America.

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution: Soapberry is found throughout most of northern and western North America; all across Canada; from the Arctic Circle to northern Arizona and New Mexico in the west; through the Great Lakes Region and New York and Maine to the east.  On the west coast, it is more common inland, but can be found on Vancouver Island, and other smaller islands in British Columbia; the San Juan Islands, and surrounding shores in the Olympic rainshadow.  In Oregon, it is mostly limited to the east side of the Cascades; in California, documented specimens have been found in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

 

Growth: Soapberry grows 3-6 feet (1-2m) tall.

Habitat: It grows in dry to moist open woods, often on sandy, rocky, or gravelly soils.

Diagnostic Characters: Leaves are opposite; mostly green on the upper surface, with fuzzy, silvery-white hairs, and rusty brown scales on the undersides.  Flowers are small, yellowish-brown, clustered on small branches, often appearing before the leaves; with male and female flowers on separate plants.  Fruits are oval, translucent orange-red berries; soapy to the touch when crushed.  Stems are covered with brown scales, like Russet Potatoes.

In the Landscape: Soapberry is a good choice for nitrogen-poor sites due to its association with a nitrogen-fixing, filamentous bacteria, (Frankia sp.), which live in its root nodules.  This silvery, shrub with its “flocked” appearance could be perfect for a dry, rock garden.  Its red berries are attractive in summer.

Phenology: Bloom time:  May-June; Fruit ripens: July.

Propagation:  Seeds exhibit erratic germination and are susceptible to greenhouse pathogens; they should not be allowed to dry out.  Plant seeds immediately in a cold frame in fall, or cold stratify for 60-90 days.  Sulfuric acid scarification for 20 to 30 minutes increases germination rates.  Vegetative propagation is best accomplished using root cuttings; stem cuttings, reportedly, have been unsuccessful but one source recommends trying half-ripe wood in July or August.

Use by People: The fruit was eaten raw, cooked or dried into cakes.  Most report that it is bitter tasting; although some say it is sour and gets sweeter after a frost.  The favorite way of preparing the berries is to make “Indian ice cream.”   Berries were collected by shaking the bushes over a mat.  They were then put in a grease-free container, mixed with an equal amount of water, and whipped until frothy.  The foam was then flavored with a sweeter food such as cooked camas, or salal berries.  The bittersweet flavor, however, may be an acquired taste.  Because of the saponin content, the berries should be consumed in moderation.  The berries can also be made into a jelly.  After consumption, the berries are thought to provide protection from mosquitoes.  Different parts of this plant were also used for various medicinal purposes.  A brown liquid made from boiling the branches was used to curl and dye hair.

Use by wildlife: Soapberry is rarely abundant enough to be very valuable to wildlife.  Deer, Elk, and Bighorn Sheep consume the foliage, while bears, Snowshoe Hares, chipmunks, grouse, quail, and Catbirds consume the berries.

Links:

USDA Plants Database

Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria

WTU Herbarium Image Collection, Plants of Washington, Burke Museum

E-Flora BC, Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Jepson Eflora, University of California

Calphotos

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

USDA Forest Service-Fire Effects Information System

Virginia Tech ID Fact Sheet

Native Plants Network, Propagation Protocol Database

Plants for a Future Database

Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn