Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Hearts-A-Busting-With-Love



Recently, on the same day of the special wildflower planting day (which I still need to do a post about, I am remembering), I felt that I just HAD to get over to the trail at Panola Mountain which is the rock outcrop trail...and I am so glad that did!  It was midday and there was a shaft of sunlight filtering through the trees and it was as if a special spotlight was shining upon this...




 
WOW!  It just stopped me in my tracks, I can tell you.  It is called a strawberry bush, hearts-a-busting-with-love, or simply hearts-a-bustin'. The seed pod is bright pink and the seeds are bright orange.  (Some descriptions call this red, but to my eyes, the colors are pink and orange.)
There was a little cartoon character showing the way of the trail, and I wonder how many noticed that bush just behind him with these brightly colored berries and bright seed pod?
 
Euonymus americanus is a small shrub with spreading crown, few branches, 6 to 8 feet tall.  In thick woods, swampy areas and margin forests.  Fruit- a leathery capsule that turns scarlet at maturity.
 
Yep, that's it but this dry description in no way descibes the beauty of that bright pink and deep orange color!
 
How about you?  Anything stopped you in your tracks lately?  No? Well, get out there and find something beautiful and tell me about it on one of my future posts, okay? No time limit, just look for beauty wherever you are!
 

16 comments:

  1. I've never seen this one, but the Euonymus europaeus is rather similar, though perhaps not so spectacular. It is called, in Hungarian, Pap Sapka (pawp shapka) which means priest's hat and is a reference to the old biretta which priests wore and which was sometimes red or purple. If you google biretta you can see the hat. If you google images for the name you can see the flowers. I think your hearts a bustin is really amazing!

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    1. I thank you for telling me about Euonymus europaeus! WOW! I did look it up and I love it! I have to tell you that I am a child of the 60's and typing the name of that plant just now reminded me of the Roadrunner! (Beep beep.) HA!
      Also, I am reminded of the fact that our beautiful redbird is called a cardinal after the cardinals in Rome, of course!

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    1. They look like flowers but they are really seed pods with the colorful seeds spilling out...gorgeous!

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  3. Like Kristi, I've never seen this one before. I agree with you, those colours are definitely pink and orange, not red!
    There is track-stopping beauty all around us, Kay. Just looking out of the train window on my way to work, seeing how the trees and gardens are changing colour, or looking at the sky with its never-ending variety of shapes and hues.

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    1. I agree with you so much but you would be surprised at the people who go about their everyday lives and never see any of the beauty of nature. I make it my business to point it out whenever I get the chance!

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  4. Very pretty. We had a few spider lilies, but someone picked them!

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    1. Oh no, I never like my flowers in a vase! I prefer to see them as they are!

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  5. WOW! Kay, how amazing. I've never seen that plant before and definitely never heard of it. "Hearts-a-bustin"!!! I want to meet the person who came up with that name. It's perfect....just like the plant! There's a bush with these amazing purple bead like thingies (I don't even know what to call it) that's been capturing my attention lately. I have several photos and will send you one. I'd bet you know what it is!!!

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    1. Hey Audrey!
      I KNEW you would love this name! I wonder if by purple bead like thingies you mean BEAUTYBERRY!!! It must be what you mean, they are so beautiful, and they are native plants. Look that up and see if that is what you have seen! xx

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    2. Kay, you are AMAZING! That is totally IT! They're everywhere. And I've never noticed them in the past. I wonder if they're just having a good year because they liked all the rainy, wet weather. I'm so happy to know what they're called. Such a perfect name for a beautiful plant. Those purple berries make me so happy!!!

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    3. Hey Audrey,
      Just now seeing your comment! BEAUTYBERRY....I am so glad that we both enjoy this bright purple color, let's make sure others know of it too!

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  6. Those flowers are so colorful and beautiful. Thanks for the pics.

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    1. You have such beautiful flowers in Hawaii. I am forever drawing flowers and connecting them into a lei...and I have never been to Hawaii! But a girl can dream, right? ;-)

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  7. Wow - what an amazing looking plant! Something that amazed me at the weekend were mushrooms with a cap the size of a dinner plate! If I've got the identification right they're called parasol mushrooms which was very apt. x

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    1. Oh Julie, it is so funny that you mentioned mushrooms...when I did this post, I wanted to say that the plant itself is really much more beautiful than I can show you in a photo and I was reminded of a bright red mushroom that I saw at the Monastery years ago and when I looked it up, I found the name of it (can't remember what it was) and the writer said," the photo of this just cannot capture the bright deep red of this mushroom"! xx

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