Here at Ijams, our hearts are a bustin'

Hearts a-bustin',  Euonymus americanusis

When this shrub blooms in the spring, its flowers are a bit ho-hum. Small, green, inconspicuous.


It's the fruits that garner all the attention. The common name of this understory shrub refers to the plant's colorful, emotive seed pods which are now ripe and a-bustin'. 


Once the seeds have matured, the magenta capsules burst, scattering the red seeds up to 15 feet. Known in the Smoky Mountains by the folk name hearts a-bustin', (Euonymus americanusis) is now doing just that: a bustin'. 


Look for it on the back terrace at the Ijams Visitor Center.


- Story and photo by Stephen Lyn Bales