Common names: Spindle, Spindleberry, burning bush, Pegwood 

Irish name: Feoras 

Latin name: Euonymus eoropaeus 

Family: Celastraceae 

Origin: Native 

Tree type: Deciduous broadleaf tree

How it looks

Shape, bark, twigs 

A mature spindle tree can grow to 9m in height. The young bark of the spindle tree is smooth and greenish. As the tree matures, the bark becomes pale grey-brown with vertical stripes. Young twigs are green, straight, and four-sided, featuring corky markings.  

Buds 

Its small, green, and pointed buds form opposite pairs along the branches. 

Leaves 

In May, dark green, oval-shaped leaves emerge. Smooth and shiny, they have a finely serrated edge and are arranged in opposite pairs. These leaves measure 3-8 cm in length and 1-3 cm in breadth, turning a rich orange-red before falling in autumn.  

Flowers 

Spindle flowers bloom in May and June when leaves are also present. These small, pale greenish-yellow flowers have four well-separated petals and four sepals. The spindle tree is hermaphrodite, with each flower containing both male and female reproductive parts. The flowers grow in small, branched clusters on upright stems and are pollinated by insects. 

Fruits 

Following pollination, the flowers develop into four-lobed, bright pink fruits measuring 1-1.5 cm wide. Between September and November, these fruits split open to reveal bright orange seed sheaths containing black seeds. Animals that consume the fruits aid in seed dispersal as the seeds pass through their digestive systems. While spindle trees can grow from seed, they may also be propagated through cuttings. 

Similar species 

Spindle is not easily confused with other species.

Where to find it

The spindle tree is widely distributed throughout Ireland, particularly in woodland edges, scrub, and hedgerows on lime-rich soils. However, it can also thrive in most non-acid soils, whether dry or moist. It is a common choice for planting in gardens and parks. 

The spindle tree is native to a broad region, spanning much of Europe and extending eastward to Asia Minor and the Caucasus.

Cultural importance

History | Myth | Literature

History 

The taxonomic name for the Spindle, Euonymus, comes from the Greek ‘eu’, meaning ‘good’ and ‘onoma’, which translates as ‘name’.  

Samples of Spindle charcoal found during archaeological excavations of burnt mounds or fulachta fiadh – possible early cooking sites – in the Irish midlands, demonstrate that it was used, along with a number of other tree species, for firewood during the Bronze Age (c. 2500-800 BC). Spindle charcoal found in a post hole of a former rectangular wooden structure excavated on a late Bronze Age Site in Rathwilladoon, County Galway suggests that the wood was also used for construction of habitation sites during this period. In addition, Spindle charcoal discovered during excavations of an ironworking hearth or furnace at Caherweelder, County Galway, show that it was used as firewood for metal working during the Iron Age (c. 800 BC – 400 AD).  

In early Medieval Ireland (c. 400-1100 AD), the Spindle tree was considered one of the ‘Lower Divisions of the Wood’. It was thus a valuable tree and if a person unlawfully damaged a Spindle tree, they could be fined a yearling heifer or in some cases a two-year-old heifer.  

The value of the Spindle during this and later periods is likely due to the fact that it was a hard wood suitable for making spindles for spinning wheels, wooden pegs for shoemaking, and for crafting harps. The fore pillar of the seventeenth-century Dalway harp (one of the two models on which the harp on the Irish free state 1928-1939 coins was based) is thought to be crafted from Spindle wood. Spindle wood was also believed to have been used for making toothpicks, skewers and knitting needles.  

Historically, the fruits of the Spindle were baked, powdered, and used to treat head lice or mange in cattle. However, no aspect of the spindle tree should ever be eaten as all parts are poisonous. 

Found in hedgerows throughout the Irish countryside, Spindle was no doubt also deemed agriculturally valuable as a ‘stock-proof’ species, akin to the Hawthorn, for keeping animals penned in.

Myth, Legend and Folklore 

There is little Irish folklore surrounding the Spindle, possibly because it is rarely found in the wild in Ireland. However, Eoin MacCoitir notes that there is a story in the Irish myths, in which a druid casts a spell over a Spindle tree so that it will trap the four birds of Aongus who had been bothering his patron, Cairpre Lifechair. In this respect, perhaps the Spindle was once believed to have magic qualities.  

The English translation of its botanical name, ‘Good Name’, is thought to mean ‘lucky’. In other contexts, however, it was believed that if the Spindle flowered it was a warning that plague was coming.

Value to wildlife

Spindle trees play a vital role in supporting diverse wildlife. Several caterpillars, including those of the magpie and spindle ermine moths and the holly blue butterfly, rely on spindle tree leaves as a food source. Spindle tree leaves also attract aphids, and as a result, insects such as hoverfly larvae, ladybirds, and lacewings appear to feed on the aphids. 

The flowers of the spindle tree produce rich nectar and pollen, supporting various insects. The bright orange fleshy seed sheaths are a favourite among feeding birds, providing a source of nutritious fats and proteins. Additionally, mammals such as mice and red foxes are known to feed on the fruit.

Threats

The species is not known to be threatened by any pest or disease in Ireland. To learn more about threats to Irish trees, visit ‘Threats to Trees.’

Uses

Spindle timber is creamy white, tough and finely grained. It can be cut to a sharp point, is perfect for carving and, in the past, was used to make skewers, toothpicks, pegs, fiddle bows and knitting needles. In Ireland, the brightly coloured fruits were used to make dye, with different parts of the fruit producing different colours. Today, spindle timber is used to make high-quality charcoal for artists, and cultivated tree forms are also grown in gardens for their autumn colour.

References

Billinge, M. and Sanger, K. 2011. Spindle-wood: Euonymus europaeus, Wire Strung Harp Website. Spindlewood Wood (wirestrungharp.com) 

Hegarty, L. 2010. Archaeological Excavation Report E3826: Caherweelder 7, Co. Galway - Iron Working Site, Eachtra Journal, 8.  

Kelly, F. 1999. Trees in Early Ireland, Augustine Henry Memorial Lecture 11th March 1999, Irish forestry: Journal of the Society of Irish Foresters, 56, 39-57.   

Lyne, E. 2009. N18 Gort to Crusheen Road Scheme: Rathwilladoon 2 & 3 - Final Report. Irish Archaeological Consultancy Ltd. On behalf of Galway County Council.  

MacCoitir, N. 2015. Ireland’s Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore. Cork: The Collins Press. 

O’Brien, J. 2014. Controversy follows 1927 Irish coin design competition results, Old Currency Exchange Website. Controversy follows 1927 Irish coin design competition results | The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 

O Carroll, E. 2010. Ancient Woodland Use in the Midlands: Understanding Environmental and Landscape Change through Archaeological and Palaeoecological Techniques, In: Creative minds, Production, Manufacture and Invention in Ancient Ireland. NRA Monograph Series issue 3.   

Warner, D. 2007. Weave a spindle into your autumn planting, Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-20049926.html  

Warner, D. 2012. Spindle treelike fairy lights aglow, Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-20200821.html  

Woodland Trust. 2023. Spindle, Woodland Trust Website. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/spindle/  

Native Irish Trees. Tree Council. Retrieved 11 April 2024, from https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees 

Stroh, P. A., Humphrey, T. A., Burkmar, R. J., Pescott, O. L., Roy, D. B., & Walker, K. J. (2023). BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas