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Questions and Answers: 2021

Question: Hello. I am trying to identify a group of Euonymus trees in Appalachian woodland habitat. They are either E. atropurpureus …

• Question

  Hello. I am trying to identify a group of Euonymus trees in Appalachian woodland habitat. They are either E. atropurpureus or E. europaeus. Oldest specimens in group are at least 8-10ft tall. No wings present on any of them. Leaves are pubescent underneath (though I have read this can be common to both species). No sign that they have flowered probably due to shady location. Is there any feature that can be used to definitively determine which species I am looking at besides flowers/fruit?

  Answer

  Dear mostyn, good morning. Unfortunately, the vegetative plants do not have a suite of good characteristics. It is the pubescence on the abaxial (undersurface) of the leaf that distinguishes Euonymus atropurpureus from E. europaeus. The hairs on E. atropurpureus are erect (i.e., stand up from the leaf surface), as opposed to any scattered hairs that might be present in the other species. Good luck.