We had moved back in November. When we cleared our back lot of overgrowth this summer, my wife wanted this tree removed. It was a smaller tree and I told her if she pulled the stump she could cut it down. Well, lo and behold, one afternoon I looked at the tree and there were little crow footprints that were completely pink.

To my surprise they actually had seeds in them and it is honestly really beautiful.

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This European Spindletree is an upright large shrub or small tree is native to Europe and western Asia. Its dull dark green leaves get to about 3.5 inches long by a little over 1 inch wide and is early to leaf out in spring. The fall color is usually just yellow-green to dull yellow, but some can get a good yellow or reddish-purple. Its main ornamental feature is that it bears lots of 4-lobed red to pink capsules that open to expose orange seeds. I remember several plants around in a few spots in the Chicago, Illinois area in the 1980's and 1990's; but it is not common in the US or well-known. I don't think those shrubs or trees are still present anymore. It is sold by a few larger, diverse, conventional nurseries and cheap mail order nurseries in the Midwest and East US. (One cheap mail order nursery was selling it as the "Popcorn Plant.") It is susceptible to the Euonymus Scale insect, looking like little white shells, that can infest plants on all parts and kill them off. The orange seeds are eaten by some birds and allow it to self-sow around and to escape cultivation. I have not seen any wild plants myself, but there is an old report of some escaping at Morton Arboretum in northeast Illinois to become weedy. In eastern North America I would rather grow either the native Eastern Wahoo or the Brook Euonymus instead.

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