Category: Native Plants

Several years ago my mother told me she had planted a new shrub on the farm where I grew up in Missouri. She called it a wahoo, and said she wished I could see it in October. Wahoo? I assumed that must be a local Ozark name. When I finally saw it in the fall, I understood why she enjoyed it so much.

I saw the shrub again while hiking in Kentucky. After some research I found it was indeed a wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus) and that it is native to both Missouri and Kentucky. This one in the backyard is an offspring of mother’s plant.

Throughout the summer it is an attractive tree-like shrub that calls no attention to itself. Then in autumn the leaves turn yellow and begin to drop, and the pods turn a bright pink and begin to stand out.

As the pods age, they open and bright red seeds appear. It’s another of nature’s wonders and I look forward to the show each autumn.

Here’s a view of the back of the garden. The aromatic asters (Aster oblongifolius) in the foreground are providing the last flowers of the season.

They form a low hedge and I enjoy the textured foliage through the summer. I especially enjoy when they bloom in September and October.

At close range the blossoms are dainty and delicate.

However, the plants have been hardy. We’ve had very little rain for three months and have already had frost. Nevertheless, the plants continue to bloom and add a nice touch of color.

I’m intrigued by autumn leaves – so many shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, and always changing. When I look closely at individual leaves they often strike me as true works of art. Here is a sampling from the backyard.

The bur oak leaves are our largest – some are over twelve inches long.

This close-up reminds me of an aerial photograph.

The blueberry (Vaccinium simulatum) leaves create a bright splash in the garden right now.

This mitten-shape-leaf on the young sassafras is one of many variations on the same tree.

I like the jewel tones of these small fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) leaves.

Photography note: These images were made with my small point-and-shoot Canon Power Shot SD1200 – macro setting without a tripod. I like to see the light coming through the leaves and used a 60 watt bulb to backlight all the images except the bur oak leaf (first image).