Euonymus europaeus Spindle

A rather slender deciduous shrub, or small tree, which grows in open woodlands and hedges on base rich soils, particularly on chalk and limestone. It is also widely planted along roads, in amenity areas and in industrial parks and plants derived from these cultivated forms are widely naturalised. Spindle has green, photosynthetic twigs and lanceolate leaves arranged in opposite pairs. The four-petalled flowers are small, greenish and rather inconspicuous and  for much of the growing season it is quite inconspicuous and easy to overlook. However, in late summer and autumn it produces very attractive pink fruits which split open to reveal the seeds which have a bright orange coat. The contrast between the pink fruit case and the orange seeds is very striking. Spindle is widespread in much of southern Britain and it is becoming more frequent along roads with plants derived from introduced stock. In West Glamorgan it is most common in woodland and hedges on limestone in Gower where it is undoubdedly native and a good indicator of ancient woodlands. Some coastal population in Neath Port Talbot are also probaby native but many inland populations in the South Wales Coalfield are derived from planted stock of unknown provenance. Its wood has been used to make the spindles that are used to hold and spin wool, hence its common name. The high quality charcoal used by artists is also derived from Spindle wood. The attractive seeds are widley described to have emetic and purgative effects after ingestion but are also reported to contain toxic alkaloids that cause cardiac and circulatory problems.

Native (but also planted)