Growing Wahoo in the Herb Garden

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Illustration of the wahoo plant.
Illustration of the wahoo plant.
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Eunymus occidentalis the western burning bush.
Eunymus occidentalis the western burning bush.
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Wahoo was used to kill head lice.
Wahoo was used to kill head lice.
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E. europaea—the European spindle tree, a similar old-world species E. atropurpurea—a small tree of the eastern U.S.
E. europaea—the European spindle tree, a similar old-world species E. atropurpurea—a small tree of the eastern U.S.
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E. atropurpurea—a small tree of the eastern U.S.
E. atropurpurea—a small tree of the eastern U.S.

Learn about growing wahoo in the herb garden, including wahoo history and a gardening guide. (See the wahoo illustrations in the image gallery.)

Growing Wahoo in the Herb Garden

After the fire of autumn has passed and only a few brown, withered leaves hold out against the cold, the vivid fruit of the wahoo dangles conspicuously on the bush. Indians and settlers waited until this season to search for the plant, when its medicinal qualities were at their peak and it was the focal point of the bared woods.

There are four species of wahoo native to the U.S. Three are widespread east of the plains: Euonymus atropurpurea is a small tree, while E. americana is an upright shrub and E. obovata is a trailing one. E. occidentalis is a shrub or small tree of the Pacific states.

All can be readily identified by their dark green twigs, which have four distinct ridges and are usually quite square. Their leaves are opposite, and their fruits hang from stalks arising from the leaf axils. In summer, the wahoos are relatively inconspicuous, their small green or maroon flowers hardly noticeable among the leaves. But in the colder months, the wahoo is twice beautiful–first when its fall leaves turn brilliant red or pale yellow, and again when its fruits hang from bare limbs, their husks splitting to reveal the glossy seeds. E. americana is particularly noteworthy in this regard, for its strawberry-like seed case bursts wide, and its four orange seeds hang precariously from the tips of the husk. In reference to its winter color, the wahoo is sometimes called burning bush; E. americana , for its evocative winter display, has also earned the names strawberry bush and hearts-a-burstin’.

  • Published on Nov 1, 1985
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