Euonymus americanus

Scientific Name: Euonymus americanus
Common Name: American strawberry-bush
Global Conservation Status: G5 - Secure

A red strawberry-like capsule bursts open in autumn to reveal 4 or 5 orangey-red seeds of the American strawberry-bush (also sometimes called Hearts-a-bustin').
Photographer: Gary Fleming

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Green arrow-straight stems with pairs of narrow pointed leaves help identify this spindly shrub.

A favorite of deer, it can grow to about 5 ft (150 cm) if not munched on. In fact, watching for this shrub's growth (or lack of it) in the wild can help resource managers assess the population density of deer in an area.

† The conservation status of a species is designated by a number from 1 (critically imperiled) to 5 (secure), preceded by a letter reflecting the geographic scale of the assessment (G = Global, S = Subnational). More information is available through NatureServe Explorer.