Strawberry Bush
Parts Usually Used
Stem and root bark, seeds
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
This herb is not the garden strawberry. It is a bush 3-6 ft tall with flowers that are greenish-purple. Erect or straggling, deciduous or nearly evergreen shrub. Stalks are green, 4-angled. Leaves rather thick, lustrous, sessile; tips sharp-pointed. Flowers greenish purple; petals stalked. Flowers in May to June. Fruits scarlet, warty. Do not look like garden strawberry fruit. Strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus) is a related plant to wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus).
Medicinally strawberry bush is equivalent to wahoo .
Where Found
Rich woods. Southeastern New York, Pennsylvania to Florida; Texas, Oklahoma to Illinois.
Uses
Historically, Native Americans prepared a tea from the root to address stomachaches, painful urination, and as a wash for swellings. Physicians formerly utilized the bark as a tonic, laxative, diuretic, and expectorant, while teas derived from the plant were traditionally taken for indigestion, liver congestion, constipation, and lung afflictions. Additionally, traditional practitioners applied powdered bark to the scalp with the belief that it would eliminate dandruff, and the seeds were historically noted for their laxative properties.
Warning
Fruit, seeds, and bark may be poisonous. Do not ingest. Fruits may cause vomiting, diarrhea, and unconsciousness. Do not use without medical supervision.
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc.
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