Euonymus atropurpureus
| Euonymus atropurpureus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 8' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Euonymus atropurpureus (common name: wahoo)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 8 - 12 weeks warm followed by 8 - 16 weeks cold stratification and can then be sown in a cold frame[1][2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm long taken at a node or with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[3].
Cultivation: Thrives in almost any soil, including chalk, it is particularly suited to dry shaded areas[3]. Prefers a well-drained loamy soil[4]. Requires shade from the midday sun[4][5].
A moderately fast-growing but short-lived tree in the wild[6].
Range: Eastern N. America - Ontario to Florida, Montana, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
Habitat: Rich woods and thickets[7], the best specimens are found in deep rich humus soils[6]. Limstone soils, stream bottoms and woods in Texas[8].
Edibility: Although the fruit has sometimes been eaten, it is considered to be poisonous by some writers and so should definitely be avoided[9]. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter[3].
Medicinal: Wahoo was used in various ways by the North American Indians, for example as an eye lotion, as a poultice for facial sores and for gynaecological conditions[10]. In current herbalism it is considered to be a gallbladder remedy with laxative and diuretic properties[10]. The bark, however, is toxic and should only be used under professional supervision, it should not be given to pregnant women or nursing mothers[10].
The stem and root bark is alterative, cardiac, cathartic, cholagogue, diuretic, expectorant, hepatic, laxative, stimulant and tonic[11][12][13][14][15]. The root bark is the part normally used, though bark from the stems is sometimes employed as a substitute[11]. In small doses it stimulates the appetite, in larger doses it irritates the intestines[11]. The bark is especially useful in the treatment of biliousness and liver disorders which follow or accompany fevers[11][10] and for treating various skin disorders such as eczema which could arise from poor liver and gallbladder function[10]. It is also used as a tea in the treatment of malaria, liver congestion, constipation etc[15]. The powdered bark, applied to the scalp, was believed to eliminate dandruff[15].
The bark and the root contain digitoxin and have a digitalis-like effect on the heart[9][15]. They have been used in the treatment of heart conditions[10].
The bark, which has a sweetish taste, is gathered in the autumn and can be dried for later use[9].
A tea made from the roots is used in cases of uterine prolapse, vomiting of blood, painful urination and stomach-aches[15].
The seed is emetic and strongly laxative[15].
Usage: Wood - heavy, hard, tough, very close grained[16][17]. It weighs 41lb per cubic foot[17], but is too small to be of commercial value[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The fruits, seed and bark are considered to be poisonous[15].
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Gordon, A and D Rowe. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 1982.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.