Euonymus americanus is one of those plants that asks almost nothing of the gardener and offers a genuinely delightful fall payoff. A native of the southeastern United States, it grows naturally on wooded slopes, in moist bottomlands, and along creek banks, comfortable in a range of soils from sandy to clay, and tolerant of conditions damp enough to deter most other shrubs. It spreads slowly by suckers, which makes it useful as a naturalizing groundcover in a woodland edge or a rain garden. The spring flowers are small and unassuming. Then, in fall, the capsules arrive: rough, warty, deep pink husks that crack open to reveal vividly orange-red seeds, the display that earned it the common name hearts-a-bustin'.

At 4 to 6 feet, it stays appropriately scaled for most settings and takes well to shade without complaint. The fall leaves turn a clean, warm red before dropping. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds. Unlike the invasive Euonymus species, E. americanus is native and non-aggressive, making it a straightforward recommendation for woodland and naturalistic plantings in Zones 6 through 9. The main nuisance is deer, which browse the foliage and twigs and can disfigure established plants in areas with high deer pressure.