Seeing a new, colorful plant appear—especially when it’s a native one—adds a happy surprise to an everyday walk. Although I’m sure we’ve passed the small plant for a year or two most days, we hadn’t  noticed it until the seedpods were bursting open last week. Henry saw them and of course went back to get his camera…and figure out what it was.

The Strawberry Bush, Euonymous americanus, is a shrub native to the mid to southeastern US. Sometimes it’s called Bursting Heart, which I think is a great description of the red-orange seeds emerging from the magenta fruit. I think this one seeded itself here, but we liked it so much that Henry called Merv at Missouri Wildlfower Nursery and got a few more to get in the ground before it’s too late!