Euonymus europaeus L., Spindle
Account Summary
Native, widespread, locally frequent. European temperate, but also widely naturalised.
1884; Barrington, R.M.; Ely Lodge Forest.
February to December.
Growth form, preferred habitats and Fermanagh occurrence

In many situations, inconspicuous for ten months of the year, Spindle is an occasional to frequent shrub (very rarely of tree-like dimensions), with sage-green, straight, slender twigs and leaves and green buds in opposite pairs. The pale green leaves have 6-8 pairs of veins, ± impressed above and prominent beneath. The opposite buds and leaves lead the plant to produce almost square sectioned twigs through the development of four corky ribs on the somewhat older shoots. Further along the branch, rough, pale brown bark is eventually formed. Beneath the bark lies the firm, smooth, whitish wood that gives the plant its name. Spindle wood is strong, smooth and does not splinter and, although the diameter is always small, as its English name declares, it was used for making spindles to spin wool into thread before the invention of the spinning wheel (Edlin 1964, p. 63; Sell & Murrell 2009).
E. europaeus strongly prefers and is almost confined to well-drained, base- or lime-rich soils. In Fermanagh, it is found in the more open parts of woods and in hedgerows, especially locally around the shores and on the islands of both parts of Lough Erne. Although more frequently found in the lowlands, it also appears in shaded upland glens, again almost always in limestone districts, eg above Doagh Lough and at Hanging Rock NR. E. europaeus has been recorded in 129 Fermanagh tetrads, 24.4% of those in the VC.
Flowering reproduction
Spindle is said to be polygamous, the flowers varying from bisexual to those with separate sexes, sometimes on different plants (ie it can be dioecious). The flowers are small, greenish-white and inconspicuous. They are borne in stalked cymose clusters in the upper leaf axils and open in June. Flower parts are in fours and they provide nectar and attract small insects as pollinators (Edlin 1964). Self-pollination can occur if there are no insect visitors (Sell & Murrell 2009).
The shrub is conspicuous only in the autumn (September-October) when in addition to the leaves turning a deep red, the colourful fruit is apparent. This is a capsule apparently consisting of a quartet of pale pink berries dangling from a stalk, which splits to emit the bright orange seed – certainly providing one of the most startling colour contrasts in Nature! The fleshy bright orange colour is in fact an edible pulpy outgrowth of the seed coat, called an 'aril' (Edlin 1964).
Seed dispersal and plant toxicity
Despite their attractive appearance these 'berries' and almost all other parts of the plant are decidedly poisonous to both domestic animals and man, although not so to birds (particularly Blackbirds), which eat the aril and disperse the seed (Lang 1987; Nelson & Walsh 1993). All or most parts of the plant contain a cocktail of toxic substances, some of which are specific to the plant, eg evobioside and euonymin. The poisoning symptoms suggest that some of the toxins are cardiac glycosides, while others such as evonine are definite alkaloids. Poisoning of sheep and goats eating spindle twigs and leaves has been reported and two horses died of digestive paralysis after browsing. About twelve hours after eating the fruits, human victims suffer vomiting, diarrhoea, stimulation of the heart and, in some severe cases, hallucinations, convulsions and loss of consciousness. Fortunately, recent reports of human poisoning have only involved relatively mild symptoms (Cooper & Johnston 1998).
British and Irish occurrence
E. europaeus is native, frequent and widespread in England, Wales and Ireland, particularly in more southern and eastern regions. However, it becomes scarce to rare northwards into N England and Scotland, where its status also becomes questionable (T.D. Dines, in: Preston et al. 2002).
European and world occurrence
E. europaeus is widespread across most of temperate Europe, but becomes scarce or absent both towards the hotter Mediterranean basin and northwards into S Scandinavia. It is probably almost entirely introduced or naturalised in most of Scandinavia and this is definitely the case in its quite wide N American occurrence where it is alien (Hultén & Fries 1986, Map 1296; Sell & Murrell 2009).
Uses
Despite its toxic nature, Euonymus has been used for a long time in herbal medicine as a purgative and a diuretic, or externally as an unction for abscesses, chilblains, acne and wounds (Launert et al. 1981). The purgative fruits were also baked, powdered and rubbed into hair as a cure for head-lice. Apart from its previously mentioned use in spinning, the wood was also frequently fashioned into clothes pegs and sold mainly by members of the travelling community, a practice that gave rise to the English common name 'Pegwood'. The wood was also used for making small items such as skewers, toothpicks and knitting needles (Sell & Murrell 2009).
The interesting autumn leaf colours and unusual fruit make E. europaeus to some extent garden worthy and in parts of B & I a proportion of the shrubs recorded may represent naturalised escapes from cultivation (T.D. Dines, in: Preston et al. 2002).
Spindle eradication
Both Rackham (1986) and Sell & Murrell (2009) mention a programme of hedgerow eradication of E. europaeus that took place in the UK during the Second World War since the plant is considered a secondary host of the Peach-Potato Aphid, Myzus persicae. This sap-sucking insect is an important pest on a wide range of crops, including many crucifers, potato and its relatives, peach and other greenhouse crops including ornamental plants. The aphid spreads viruses such as Potato Leaf Roll Virus and Potato-Y virus. However, the aphid has many other secondary hosts, mainly amongst annual herbs, so the removal of Euonymus from hedges provided no respite from crop infestation by this parasite and its accompanying pathogen.
Threats
None.