One of those plants that are often overlooked despite their virtues, the Eastern wahoo will add color to your landscaping with its purple flowers in the spring and bright red berries and foliage in the fall. The berries hang on even after the leaves drop, providing color in the winter landscape as well as food for birds.
The natural form of the Eastern wahoo is a large, spreading shrub with multiple stems - although you can prune it as a small tree with one or more trunks. The typical mature size of the shrub form is 10 to 15 feet high with a spread of 6 to 10 feet. As a tree, it may reach 20 to 25 feet.
Plant the Eastern wahoo in full sun or partial shade. Use it as an accent plant, in a screening or border hedge, or as an understory planting in a woodland garden. The Eastern wahoo likes well-drained, fertile soil, so it's a good idea to add organic matter such as Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Trees & Shrubs when planting.
A native of the eastern and central United States, the Eastern wahoo is a relative of the popular burning bush shrub which was imported from Asia. That commonly grown plant (Euonymus alatus) is considered an invasive species in many parts of the country, but the Eastern wahoo is not. If you want to purchase an Eastern wahoo for your yard, be sure the plant you select is the Euonymus atropurpureus.
