Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) is a large, vigorous, deciduous shrub or small tree with oval leaves and distinctive, colorful fruits. It is native to Europe but has been introduced worldwide for ornamental purposes. It has opposite, lanceolate to elliptical leaves with finely serrated edges that are dark green in the summer, turning yellow-green to reddish-purple in the autumn. It produces small yellowish-green, inconspicuous hermaphrodite flowers late spring which produce purple to pink capsular fruit that ripen in the autumn.
Toxic components
E. europaeus fruit are toxic to horses if ingested, as they contain a digitalis-like cardioactive steroid and several alkaloids that cause gastrointestinal irritation.
MECHANICAL: Seedlings can be easily hand-pulled, especially when the soil is moist. Larger plants and their root systems can be dug out with a spading fork or pulled with a weed wrench. The flowers can be trimmed off to eliminate seed production. Larger shrub can be cut. The stump must be ground out
