Running Strawberry-bush

Euonymus obovatus

Pollinator Value

❄️ Winter Food Source: Scarlet-ariled capsules persist into autumn and are consumed by American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, and Hermit Thrush (genus-level diet records). Bright pink to orange fruit splits open to reveal fleshy scarlet arils attractive to thrushes and other wintering birds.

Proximity Score: 2
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: SW
CEC Eco-Regions: 8 – Eastern Temperate Forests, 8.1 – Mixed Wood Plains, 8.1.2 – Lake Erie Lowland
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) with a national rank of N4 in Canada. In Ontario ranked S4 (Apparently Secure), reflecting a distribution concentrated in the southwestern part of the province along the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Erie lowlands. Not listed under SARA. Not native to Quebec.
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A trailing subshrub of rich deciduous forests, typically found in beech-maple and oak-hickory woodlands on mesic to slightly dry slopes. In Ontario and Michigan, it forms large colonies on the forest floor in high-quality habitats, often associated with Acer saccharum, Fagus grandifolia, Tilia americana, and Ostrya virginiana. Conservative species restricted to undisturbed forest interiors.

Roles: Living Mulch, Wildlife Habitat
Notes: Excellent living mulch for forest garden ground layer. Its trailing, mat-forming habit suppresses weeds while providing fruit for birds. Very fast-growing ground cover that roots at stem nodes, filling gaps beneath canopy and understory trees in shade to part-shade conditions.

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No recorded food uses. Fruit and foliage are described as somewhat toxic, and the genus Euonymus is generally considered inedible.