OK, so we are fairly new to Maryland...and we have this shrub in our backyard. I'm not sure what it is, but I can tell you that: 1. It is not evergreen 2. It has a very odd exoskeleton around the stems 3. The birds LOVE hiding in it 4. It does not bear any berries or fruit 5. There are small cone shaped extensions (?) at the end of each stem, probably to make more leaves or stems 6. Leaves are asymmetrical 7. The leaves are teethed 8. The bush is about 10' - 12' and offers great privacy Please help! I would LOVE to know what this is!!! My kids LOVE it, and it makes a great fort for them to play under, it does not have any branches near the bottom of the bush, it's really cool! Thanks!!!
I am thinking it looks like the Winged Euonymus - Euonymus phellomanus. But I am not particularly familiar wit Euonymus as a group. It's just that I have seen something like this on a garden visit about 3-4 years ago, and the name seems to sound familiar.
Thanks for the quick responses already! I don't recall that the bush produced any flowers last year, but we moved to this house in late October, and if it is Euonymus alatus, the flowering period is from September to October... we shall see soon! Thanks again!
They bloom in the spring, but fairly insicnificant the berries are very showy http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?search=Euonymus+alatus&guide=North_American_Invasives
Agree that it is Euonymus. However, rather surprised that you have no sign of the typical capsules that contain the seeds,which should be on your plant now. Both E. phellomanus and E.alatus have the winged stems.The flowers of both are tiny and can easily be missed. Euonymus phellomanus capsules are quite pink and contain red seeds. See.... http://www.panglobalplants.com/plant_nav/plant_code.php?show=Euonymus+phellomanus&picture=shrubs2097
Euonymus phellomanus has the more rounded leaves (violin shape), the picture shown taper more to a point.
