Fall fruits - European spindle-tree

I have been passing this bush so many times but it was always earlier in the year and I had no idea that after summer it holds such beautiful and brightly coloured fruits and seeds. It is not uncommon around, but only in autumn it gives such a show.

Euonymus europaeus

It is also called Spindle and it has a very interesting eplanation:

European spindle wood is very hard, and can be cut to a sharp point; it was used in the past for making spindles for wool-spinning and for butchers' skewers.
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The plant can be found in most parts of the Europe. Due to its amazing colour in the fall it's mostly used as decoration plant and I did see it before in parks.

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This one here is growing at the edge of the fields, close to a dirt road. It is only my route to the "sunset shooting spot". Together with other shrubs, trees and some wild roses create a nie osy fence and hideout for the birds.

And I had no idea it was growing there before, because during the year it looks just like any other leafy shrub. Even in spring when it blooms - the lowers are small and light green so they just disappear in the leafy mess.





What you see here are the fruits. The pink part is the shell and the orange is the seed. Quite a colour combination :)

When they are still closed they look like tiny apple. Do not dare to eat them though - they are poisonous and the colours are a fair warning.





The fruits will stay on the branhes until late fall. Then they will be the only decoration as the leaves will eventually change colour and fall off.

You can see Hops as a bonus here. How it got there - I don't know as there is no plantations around. Now it climbs on the bushes trees and electric posts. It is deciduous, so whatever grew will die back for the winter. In spring it will start over again. And it can grow really fast and really tall!





Lastly and as always a nice graphic. You can see the flowers here too (or if you want to google it)

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