This is confusing and to a degree it’s almost political. In some states Burning Bush are on the invasive species list which I really don’t understand, but they are. But in most states, it is not the Burning Bush that we all know that are on those lists. The Burning Bush that is on invasive species lists is the old, heavily winged variety that looks like this;
Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus alatus
For the sake of simplicity let’s put Burning Bush into two categories.
1. What most nurseries grow and sell today is a variety of burning bush that is known as a compact variety. The botanical name is Euonymus Alatus Compacta. Commonly called Dwarf Compact Burning Bush. But calling them “compact” is really misleading, because both varieties grow 12′ tall or taller.
2. Then there’s the old fashioned Burning Bush. Botanical name Euonymus Alatus. Commonly known as “Winged Burning Bush” because this variety has a much more pronounced wing on the stems. See the photos below.
First let’s look at the old fashioned variety, Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus. This is the one on many invasive species lists.
Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus.
Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus.
Winged Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus. in a hedge row.
Now Let’s Get all Political about Burning Bush, Shall We?
I want you to look closely at this hedge row, along the soil line. How many seedlings do you see popping up? Let me see, I can count a total of zero from this perspective. As a point of reference this is zone 5, northern Ohio, just about 2 miles from Lake Erie which happens to be some of the best growing ground in Ohio.
Yet . . . no sign of invasive Burning Bush. This hedge is the variety that is considered to be invasive.
Me and this hedge? We have a history. We were neighbors for 16 years and I moved away 10 years ago and went back yesterday and snapped this photo. This hedge has been in this yard for at least 40 years. How invasive can this plant be if after 40 years there is no sign of seedlings?
I know the argument, somebody pulls them as they come up. Not likely. Like I said, I am very, very familiar with this hedge, this property, this property owner. This person is not out there 5 times a month weeding under this hedge. That’s just not the case.
Now granted, in other parts of the country the seeds might germinate more easily, but come on! Do we really need to have our political noses that far into what nature does naturally? That’s my question. I think not.
Let’s move on.
Compact Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus Compacta.
Compact Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus Compacta.
As you can see from these photos the wing on the compact variety of Burning Bush is much less pronounced. I didn’t notice it when I took this photo and I can’t say for sure, but it looks like there might be some kind of a random seedling growing up through this hedge, but it’s not any kind of Burning Bush. It has smooth bark.
How ironic is that? Some random invasive species invading a Burning Bush hedge?
Compact Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus Compacta.
Compact Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus Compacta.
Notice that the wing is much less pronounced on the compact variety?
I mentioned that the compact variety can grow to 12 tall or taller, but at the same time I’ve kept mine in my landscape trimmed to about 42″ for years. Burning Bush only puts out one really hard push of new growth each year in the spring. So if you trim your Burning Bush after that happens it will pretty much stay at the size that you want it forever.
Now let’s look at the two varieties side by side.
Eunonymus alatus compacta on the left, Euonymus Alatus on the right.
Eunonymus alatus compacta on the left, Euonymus Alatus on the right.
Facts about Burning Bush.
Burning Bush is hardy from zones 4 to 8. They don’t do well in zones warmer than zone 8.
Burning bush turns brilliant red in the fall, but they depend on a change in the amount of light that they receive to change color dramatically so if they are growing in the shade, or close to a house they don’t often color up as much as most folks would like.
Rabbits, deer and field mice absolutely love the bark of Burning Bush and if they girdle the shrub all the way around the stem it could die.
Burning Bush has a fibrous root system so unlike most deciduous shrubs Burning Bush can be transplanted in late summer, early fall. Waiting for them to go dormant is best, but I have seen nurseries dig them to sell in late August.
Burning Bush is easy to propagate, both summer and winter. See these pages.
For photos of Burning Bush in Full Color and tips on heavily pruning a Burning Bush, see this Page.
Questions or comments? Post them below.
I can only speak to my area in Ohio but I’m constantly cutting our winged burning bush from our woods. They are very invasive. In our nearby woodland park they literally line the walking paths. Our neighbors have burning bushes in their yard and our woods are the reluctant recipient of the seeds from the birds.
Mark,
Obviously it takes the right conditions for the to be invasive. I’ve yet to encounter one that I’d consider invasive. As a matter of fact I’ve only pulled up a handful of seedlings in my life. But I won’t argue with you because I know they can be invasive in the right conditions.
You are soooo full of it Mike.
Burning bush is a VERY prolific spreader and very alleliopathic.
I am battling an acre stand of it now. Plants 12 feet high and 2-3 inches in diameter. Nothing grows under it Except for THOUSANDS of new baby burning bushs. Your article is doing a MAJOR injustice to the environment.
Eric,
That’s not the case at all at my place. I had huge burning bush out back and almost no seedlings anywhere. I now have a burning bush in the landscape at the nursery that has been planted in a mulched bed for 12 years. No seedlings around it.
Here in New England you can see this invasive plant almost everywhere ! This plant is VERY invasive !!! Usually the seeds germinate in the woods far from the main plant after being dropped by animals like birds etc. There are areas in Connecticut where all you can see is burning bushes for acres upon acres.
Also, the entire plant is poisonous, the leaves, the bark and the berries. If wildlife eat the plant they become sick and may die. Four berries from the plant can kill a small child.
I’m a landscape designer in Michigan. I do pull a lot of baby burning bush seedlings out every year, but these do get regular watering from irrigation, maybe that has something to do with it. I do see them on forest hikes from time to time- birds and animals eat their berries and then poop then out in the woods. The same thing is happening with barberries. And don’t even get me started on dreadful bradford pears and their thorny nightmare offspring! But. I wouldn’t say these burning bushes are invasive. Maybe there is some confusion with kochia, which are also called Mexican burning bush, which are very invasive and problematic in grasslands.
Y.S.
I think it has a lot to do with climate. They readily germinate in some areas not others. Know what I’ve got growing wild on my property? Japanese holly. Not a ton of them, but they are scattered throughout the woods. Similar to Green Lustre.
Great article. I live in northern ohio. I’ve seen a winged burning bush that was dug up as part of a construction job. It was placed on top of a dirt pile, on its side, with the roots exposed. The burning bush was out there all Winter covered in snow. And then in the Spring, it started budding! It was able to be replanted with the new landscaping lol. The deer don’t eat them. They don’t need to be watered. They don’t need pesticide or fertilizer. In northern Ohio, I think they are a beautiful way to conserve resources.
Don’t plant this invasive plant. You are contributing to the problem. This plant out competes native vegetation. The ENTIRE plant is poisonous. It is of no value to the other animals and plants. This is an invasive Asian plant !!!
Burning bushes have taken over the woods here on Long Island (New York). Don’t plant it ! It’s horrible the invasion here and they have zero value for wildlife
Zero value for wildlife? Deer and rabbits eat them like crazy here. And here in northern Ohio they are not invasive. I had several huge ones on my property that had been there for years, they dropped seeds like crazy, almost none of those seeds germinated. When I cleared that part of my property there were no seedlings, just about three giant burning bush. Know what I have that come up from seed? Japanese holly. So it really depends on where you are at and what the conditions are.
They take over the native species that as natural parts of the ecosystem. By default native plant species provide more food and housing opportunities to the local fauna they evolved alongside and depend on. It may provide berries for a few generalist bird species, but that doesn’t mean the burning bush is highly ecologically valuable.
By beating out the native plants and taking over an area, invasive species like Euonymous alatus reduce the biodiversity of flora, and therefore the highly specialized animals that depend on them. So, a drift of burning bush, vinca, pachysandra, knotweed, Japanese barberry, Norway maples, etc. actually create “food deserts” in the areas they take over.
This is because many insect and animal species are specialists, not generalists. They depend on a single plant or animal for survival. You lose the plants, you lose the whole chain.
Yes zero value for wildlife Mike. The entire plant is poisonous. When animals eat the leaves or bark or berries they become ill and may die. Just because your few burning bushes don’t appear to have spread doesn’t mean they won’t or haven’t spread far from your home like in the woods.
” Burning bush is considered invasive in certain areas because it can threaten existing plants and biodiversity. The bush is dominant and seeds prolifically, which means it can force out other plants, especially herbaceous and native woody plant species. Some nurseries have discontinued selling them for this reason, while those that do sell them must state that the plants are invasive. We encourage you to check with local garden centers or the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health to see if the plant is invasive in your region or not.
If so, you may want to consider native alternatives, such as chokeberry or fragrant sumac. “
This message is from Toronto Canada. I have had a registered and very qualified arborist inspect what he claims is 100+ year old burning bush. I can send you a picture if you prefer. It is appropriately 30 ft tall. It does not at any time of the year have any red leaves do to the fact that it really doesn’t get any sun. It needs continuous pruning do to the suckers.
Is it worth keeping or should I have it removed?
James,
Based on your description it sounds like your property would be better without it. But that’s your call. I’ve seen burning bush cut way, way back only to have them grow to an unacceptable height over and over.
And why do people even want these? They are boring looking when green, beautiful when red for about 2-3 weeks out of a 52 week year, then ugly as heck brown sticks all winter. How they are such great sellers is beyond me!
Not really an exciting plant, but they do sell. At one time they sold insanely well.
I haven’t found any Euonymus alatus on my forest walks. I haven’t found a single fruit on my neighbor’s burning bushes either. Winged burning bush might be dioecious (with separate male and female plants), like its relative Celastrus, and everyone’s probably being sold male winged burning bushes. Except I haven’t found anything online about if burning bushes are dioecious or not. I don’t think it’s hard to find a native alternative for burning bush where I live in the eastern U.S.. There’s eastern wahoo and hearts-a-burstin’, both have beautiful fall foliage, ornamental (though poisonous) fruits that last into winter, of course it’s attuned to the local area’s wildlife, and leafing times that respect other plants. There’s also maple-leaved viburnum which turns red/purple in fall.
Is there a way of preventing the seed growth on the bush I get thousands of sprouts in a my flower bed nearby. I don’t want to use a weed preventer because of my dogs. Other sites state how toxic these berries are, my dogs have been eating them for years and are still alive. I wonder if the the toxic claim is to keep folks from planting them
Carrie,
Best way to prevent seed growth is to simply keep the bed cultivated so the germination is interrupted as it is happening. Heavy mulch might actually help germination.
Yes the bush hangs over a mulched bed but Im still confused about the berries being toxic. Some sites state that they are and some don’t or maybe it depends on the amount eaten. All winter long my dog has nibbled on these for years and dosnt barf them up but now I fret they may have contributed to liver issues but then again she is 12. I love the bush, Ive enjoyed it for decades, Its close to 15 ft tall. I would love to let her out and walk away but now cant wondering if they are toxic. Thanks for the quick response yesterday
How can I find one of these bushes to plant in my yard? I do Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, and love this branch material for use in flower arrangements, but can’t find it anywhere.
Gail,
For flower arranging you definitely want the larger variety, not the compacta. euonymus alatus See this; http://www.freeplants.com/Winged_Burning_Bush.JPG
I have burning bushes because i didn’t know they were invasive. Right now the honeysuckle is killing out part of it. Here’s an idea for Department of Agriculture, If you want to get rid of ANY invasive species, just go get some gluphosphates, paraquot, and a dozen other poisons they spray on ALL cropland. It singlehandedly destroyed two mature sweet gums. (Who,cares? Right? They are a nuisance anyway,) Not one plant or shrub on my place was not deformed in some way. Pine trees, birches, maples, shrubs,burning bushes………there you go. The oaks in Illinois are all suffering because of drift. I don’t know the answer, but one of these days, when the forests have no oaks left, we might start addressing this problem. I am not trying to diminish the problem of invasive shrubs……just pointing out that pesticide and herbicide drift is devastating, too.
For those of you, like me, =that wants to permanently I have a solution that works, over a 3 or 4 year time frame. # 1.. The most effective is to pull it out, the more roots the better. # 2. Cut it just below the first branches. It will resprout new branches at the cut. Euonymus alatus has a very strong root system. To permanently kill it, you have to deprive the roots of nutrients. Depending on the time of year, it might resprout up to 3 times a year. You have to deprive the roots of nutrients. New sprouts create new leaves, feeding the roots. New sprouts require nutrients. What you are attempting to do is kill the roots. Therefore, when you start to see new leaves appear, keep cutting off small pieces, just below the 1st, initial cut. # 3. Use glyphosate ( Roundup ), which I have not found effective, and juries have found it to be a cancer causing chemical. # 4. What works for me: is: Copper nails, not available at the 2 big box home improvement retailers and costs 8 times more than common nails. I use 1 1/4 inch ring shanked roofers. If the sprout is small enough, pull it, otherwise clip or chainsaw it flush to the ground. Depending on the size of the sprout, pound 1 to 9 nails into the stump. It will not resprout at the stump. However, the root system will continue to sprout 1 / 16 ” of an inch, new shoots. With a weed whacker, these become easy to mow down.. I have been fighting Euonymus Alatus for 30 years. I will tell you 2 things, it is not easy to kill, but it can be done.
I have 8 acres of property in north eastern CT, 6 acres pine forest. You can not walk in my forest, due to euonymus alatus ( winged burning bush ), having completely taken over. In NE CT, it is definately an invasive species.
Thank you Roman I appreciate your input on this topic.
I agree wholeheartedly! I have it lining a stream on my property due to the animals depositing it. It has overtaken indigenous shrubs that used to line the same stream. Sad that burning bush is a perpetual money maker despite its invasions!
I was shocked to learn that this plant is considered invasive. I have witnessed the invasion into forests of Japanese barberry, but never winged euonymus.
I read many of the comments, but decided that a picture was worth a thousand words:
http://springfieldmn.blogspot.com/2013/11/
Mike, When I was a youngster, we had a burning bush in our yard. Don’t know where it came from.
I remember my Father calling it a Firing Quince bush. Have you ever heard of it being called that?
Mike B. in CT.
Mike,
No, but there are a lot of ornamental quince, but they usually bear fruit.
Hello…these are invasive, I have seen entire forests taken over in Illinois. Do not listen to this guy. Just because a bird propagated a plant doesn’t make it ‘natural’. They form an understory and block the light from the ground which kills the native wildflowers underneath. This and buckthorn are a pain to deal with.
I love in Illinois and grow burning bush in my yard. I go to the forest preserve all the time with my dogs. It’s super rare. …. Not invasive………
You’d do better not listening to Mike B. (the well meaning alarmist). Native plants are also invasive or we wouldn’t have forests Grass is invasive or we wouldn’t have lawns. He and all his do hooded cohorts seem to forget that white people are not native to this country either and they have been far more invasive and destructive than any and all all of the beautiful non native plants ever entered this country.
Barry P.
Next time before you speak or comment it would be valuable if you took a Logic 101 course.
I love your reply anonymous Barry p! Amen brotha!
This is correct! Just because one person has not seen it be invasive does not mean it is not. I have seen Both varieties invade forrest of North Carolina. I have pulled literally, over hundreds of hours , thousands of babies from around mature plants. Once they get into a wooded habitat by seed dispersal, they can literally take over and prevent any native species from growing beneath their dense shade. The internet is full of people posting convincing arguments about why science is not true. However, these do not belong here and are wrecking havoc in some areas. pleas do not plant them. They are invasive species list because they are invasive.
Mike,
Interesting discussion. Your readers (and you) should access and read (!) the US Forest Service site concerning Euonymus alatus: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/euoala/all.html
Much of the confusion here centers around understanding of what an invasive species is and why an nonnative species has the potential to be an invasive species.
By example, read what the US Forest Service says about the invasive character of this nonnative plant (from Asia):
“Invasion history in the United States: Winged burning bush was first introduced in the United States in the 1860s [10]. It has escaped cultivation or become invasive mostly in the northeastern United States.”
This statement and further reading of the US Forest Service data compilation about Euonymus alatus will bring one to the realization that Euonymus alatus IS an invasive species: once it escapes cultivation (e.g., your lawn) by way of birds, it will infest forest/[pasture boundaries and then deep into the forests. The invasion is possible and damage to the ecosystem is enhanced because it is highly successful in outcompeting native plant species, replacing the native plants.
Your example, “It’s doesn’t seem so bad in my back yard” misses the whole issue of what an invasive species is. You wouldn’t say, “Well, my house didn’t burn down in the forest fire so what’s the problem?” when dealing with forest management on the regional scale. Or, would you?
By the way the US Forest Service recommends (as of 2009):
“Preventing winged burning bush invasion: Winged burning bush’s escape from cultivation could be slowed or prevented if fertile winged burning bush plants were no longer commercially available and/or if native species were substituted in landscaping projects. However, frugivorous birds may disperse fertile winged burning bush seed into uninvaded areas (see Seed dispersal). Studies to develop sterile winged burning bush cultivars were in progress in 2008 [8,17]. Lists of alternative native species that provide bright red or pruple fall color are available in these sources: [33,38].”
Jon,
I get all of that and I have heard from people who have had a problem with burning bush seedlings coming up all over the place. But truth be told seedlings of all kinds come up all over the place and I think we have to be really careful how much government regulation we ask for. Two days ago Pam and I were leaving a restaurant when she noticed this really pretty barberry in the landscape of the restaurant. I said; “Soon to be on the invasive species list I’m sure.” Crimson Pygmy and Rosy Glow are already regulated in some areas. Where does it stop? Maybe nature better knows how to deal with these problems? Barberry is a sun loving plant, it’s not going to be very aggressive in a forest full of trees.
As Jon said, invasive species are problematic when it comes to our forests. It is indeed happening , and this alters entire ecosystems . They come in as understory plants (they do get just enough sun in the understory) then take over. They change the pH of the soil, increase deer herbivory on native plants, alter riparian areas and fill in wetlands, threatening water supplies. One of the main reasons that the bog turtle is now an endangered species is because invasive plants have filled in bog edges. Some invasive plants even emit chemicals that kill neighboring native plants.
Kay, I’m listening. Thank you for your input.
I have it my woods like crazy. I’m in southern Michigan and you wouldn’t believe how many are out there on 6 acres. You can’t tell me it’s not invasive.
Jeff,
I’ve heard from several of you from Michigan. Here in northern Ohio I see almost none growing from seed.
Its stops when people plant native plants rather than non natives that have a potential to become invasive. Here in New Jersey the entire understory of the forest behind my house is winged burning bush. There were definitely people complaining about it being listed as invasive. Barberry is also invasive and spreads into many forests in the northeast. It also kills me to see people still buying Norway maples. There are so many good native maple trees.
*The problem is nurseries sell burning bush. Why, if it’s invasive? The average person has no idea, if there’s an invasive plant list (there is) than why don’t nurseries input these into their system so the buyer doesn’t offer this to consumers who have no idea? I get old plants Mike is talking about but the immediate issue is —-don’t sell them to consumers! So simple.
In fact, Japanese barberry IS invasive in forests and deep shade here in New England because I have it in my woodlands along with buckthorn, shrub honeysuckle, bittersweet. Happily no burning bush on my own property, though in autumn it is quite visible in many nearby woodlands. By definition invasive plants are exotic plants spread into natural areas by seed dispersal via animals, birds, wind, etc. The fact that they typically have few or no pests or diseases here (since they aren’t native) means that they outcompete native plants and replace them.
It’s a fact that barberry can be incredibly invasive. Move on.
https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-operations/barberry-tick-connection
And now we’ve got a tick connection.
I wish you were correct about them not being invasive.
I live 15 miles west of Boston and have an acre and a half in a very wooded neighborhood. When I bought my house in 1978 there were three bushes about 3 feet tall spread around the yard. Today there are dozens of them. Every fall I cut them down or prune them way back to keep them under control. There are seedlings that sprout up under the mature plants almost every year, seedlings farther away that appear to be spread by birds and when I made the mistake of putting trimmed branches with red berries on them in my brush pile in the woods they started growing there.
The deer, we have lots of them, eat everything else in my yard but have never gone near the burning bushes.
They are very pretty but there is no question that they are invasive.
Paul,
I get that. That doesn’t seem to be the case here, I had a few huge ones on my property here, pretty much in the woods, no seedlings. But I guess my point is, all things grow from seeds. Soft maple trees will sprout a million seedlings in your yard and flower beds if you don’t control them. People write to me all the time all excited because they find Japanese maple seedlings growing in their yard. Hundreds of them. But they don’t look at that as being an invasive problem.
I’m South of Boston.
In 17 years on 2 acres with wooded borders on 2 sides and 12 winged beauties- I’ve never had issues on my property or as far as the far as the eye can see – in the wooded borders. Don’t get all Lorax. Others could argue a bird’s perspective.
Great point.
For all you guys complaining about invasive plants, this just is Darwin at work. If a plant can grow in an area, it cannot be called invasive, it is natural
I would suggest you undertake some study of botany and ecology before making a sweeping statement like that.
Kudzu would be the best example of how wrong you are. The vine that ate the south…
There are lots of factors that can affect seed germination including ph, light or darkness, stratification. Another factor can be the digestive track of birds which can seriously affect eyed germination.
I can’t tell you with any certainty what factors affect the seeds produced by your plants. Maybe they need light to germinate and you mulch heavily. Maybe they need an acidic environment and yours is too alkaline.
Please remember that a single data point doesn’t make something a fact. Or not a fact. These plants are invasive.
I still believe that this invasive species list stuff is way over the top and out of control. Really, do we need this much regulation? Just my opinion based on 44 years of experience working with plants like Burning Bush, Crimson Pygmy Barberry, Rosy Glow Barberry etc. When a commonly used ornamental plant is being considered for an invasive species list very serious consideration of this particular plant needs to done, and on a very wide basis. And if restricted it should be restricted only in the area where it truly is a problem. These lists are far too broad.
Of course you don’t like your plant pallet limited, who does? You are a nurseryman, it impacts your bottom line. I truly, genuinely feel for you. It is a matter of being able to learn from the mistakes of others and acting as a community in prevention of said problems. If you are the kind of person who has to put his hand on a hot stove, I can’t help you and will try to convince others. The spread is a matter of so many things, like: the birds carry the seeds pretty far, there need to be enough for genetic diversity, etc. I live in Cape Breton Nova Scotia…pretty cold here. And the plants here did nothing for a long time…that is a well known and documented phenomenon called “lag” time…it can be 100 years as it was here for Japanese Barberry. We have a major problem with that. The question is, do you care enough about forests to prevent an expensive problem? Or is it you just resent being informed? The people who resent being informed are the reason these plants get banned.
MB,
I don’t resent being informed, but I don’t like to see useful plants that serve us well put in an invasive species list in areas where it is not a problem. That’s my only concern. Lists like this tend to grow out of control to the point that the list is invasive.
Hi Mike, I am inclined to agree with you, and invasive plants have “invaded” my life, my garden, and my 50% native areas, LOL! I actually believe our survival as a species had a lot to do with our fingers, and brains…fingers for growing and gathering, brain for recognizing which plants are for what…a skill sadly neglected these days, as 99% of the population sees a wall of green beyond the petunia.
I think our love for plants is part of our need to disperse them, and I think of us as kind of a super-alligator or elephant in terms of transforming our surroundings. But, I have to ask myself…is building concrete cities, flying living things around in airplanes and sending plants in massive quantities around the world via the internet a good thing, or a bad thing? I am sure nature does not care (it is no one’s “mother” no matter how sentimental we want to be).
Your point is well taken, but to restrict the decisions regionally puts the “grey” zone at risk, and fails to consider that prevention is the least expensive way to confront the problem, because once people realize they have a problem the plant has already escaped. I also have not seen you address Doug Tallamy’s incredible body of elegant science that shows that the herbivorous insects are the basis of any local food chain, and required by massive numbers of creatures we love (like the birds and butterflies). A massive number of those are not generalists but host-specific. The caterpillars and the native plant species that support them are absolutely essential to many nesting song and migratory species. If you can’t get his book (Bringing Nature Home), which I can’t recommend enough, watch his videos on You Tube…the man knows his back yard…intimately, and has made the most convincing evidence-based arguments I have seen so far….sadly, you would think erring on the side of caution would be reasonable, but we are brinkmen, arguers, and fighters. As such our time, I fear, is limited.
Because of your valid point, I have (for years now) had a local FB page Invasive Plants Cape Breton. I wish people would dig deeper on this…invasive plants are #2 (after habitat destruction) in cost and harm to wild creatures and this is (still) just an emerging problem. It is well above climate change in terms of direct impact on threatened wildlife (according to the IUCN). To not (very) carefully choose one’s plants to promote as a nursery person is tantamount to spreading disease, because this is worse than a couple of herbicide applications to eliminate it. Invasive plants are worse than litter, or even an oil spill…it is biological pollution that grows and adapts with each generation, steals pollinators from native plants, and can poison the soil for anything not its own, eliminating recovery of natives.
Thank you for the reasonable discussion and being willing to consider and leave published various points of view. This is a serious issue that any lover of travel or nature or gardening needs to think deeply about. To me it is not a political or moral or aesthetic issue, but equivalent to protecting your own home and community from fire. It is just green, and moves in a way that is hard for us to perceive. The awareness of the issue really has been aided by the camera, since we have no accurate visual memory of how we are transforming the landscape. The satellite photos of the planet show just how much we have transformed.
I live on land that was allowed to return to native 100 years ago, and it has not fully recovered yet. The recovery is complicated by Japanese Barberry, Angelica, Rosa multiflora, Japanese knotweed, and a number of grasses and hawkweeds. The shorelines are transforming from productive wild bird areas to hedges of Chinese Rosa rugosa.
We need plants in every way, but they don’t need us, and with our help, may indeed turn out to be the superior adapters. (sorry, holiday weekend, chance to reflect on it all…more philosophical than usual and pretty speculative)
MB,
Your points are valid, your passion is obvious and I appreciate being informed. You see, much of what you’ve said will rattle around in my subconscious for some time. That’s how we learn.
I deeply appreciate your open mindedness…there is so much to be learned from the natural world…it is a complex situation, sadly not boiled down to a humorous meme. Doug has been working on the science of how much suburbia, agriculture, and pavement there is, and how our choices impact the other creatures of the planet. The Habitat Network is another rich source of recent discoveries. Thanks, you made my night.
I have 2 burning bushes that were here 22 years ago, trimmed almost to death. I let them grow and pruned them to be bushy, added a 3rd one to make a privacy hedge. They finally grew big enough to produce berries. The birds and squirrels don’t eat them, and I now have a terrible seedling problem. It is a 3 foot mat around each plant that I mow down. Seedlings in the nearby lawn and flower beds.. There is not enough sun for the leaves to turn much before they fall. Not sure the fall color is worth it, though they make a nice screen of green.
Zone 6b, less than a mile from Lake Michigan, sandy infertile acid soil.
Mike
I have burning bushes in front of my deck, and ever since they were about 3 ft. high they would put out seeds. Those seeds that the birds did not get started new plants under the mother plant. I have been digging and replanting them around my yard. I am now noticing the young plants coming up in my flower beds a good 20 ft. from the original plants. So I know this is going to be spreading all through out my flower beds. I have tried to plant them outside of my fence but the deer love them and they never get a chance. I live in Berkeley Springs West Virginia and I do believe this plant could spread easily if it were not for the deer.
Mike, I wish you were correct, but you are not. Compacta is just as aggressive as the plain ole alatus. .
I have pictures of Compacta offspring taking over acres of a woodland surrounded by housing. The birds deliver the seeds. The homeowners do not believe their plants are the source, but its very clear. The homeowners property is mowed and pampered. They just don’t give it a chance to get established.
We really need to discourage this plant.
Jeff,
I’m guessing it’s a regional thing because for over 40 years I’ve worked around very established burning bush hedges and probably haven’t seen 12 seedlings in 40 years. I truly believe that these invasive species list are out of control.
mike, i’ve a question for you about a plant i used to have and was able to buy seeds for back in the early 70’s. it was called ‘mexican burning bush’, but was nothing at all like the above shrubs.
infact, it wasn’t a shrub at all, but a beautiful feathery plant that was green in the summer and dark reddish in the fall. i have not been able to find these seeds since and have looked for them everywhere.
when i say ‘feathery’ i don’t really mean they looked like feathers, but were not hardwood or ‘shrubby’ at all. just long stems, almost grass like, that appear soft as some grasses do.
i realize without a picture it is hard to imagine, but i hoped there was a chance that you might know of the plant i’m talking about and where to acquire it. i live in central illinois in what used to be zone 6, but is now apparently zone 5b.
thanks so much for your help, cheri.
Cheri,
Type this into google, I think it’s what you are referring to Bassia scoparia. Might help you find what you are looking for.
thanks mike, i think you’re right. although what i saw online were rounded and my memory of it was less so. probably just that what i had was growing on the edge of a sidewalk in a straight line. either way it is a beautiful plant.
i appreciate the quick response.
It’s definitely invasive in Maine and Michigan. In my former Michigan garden I cut down the mother plant, but new seedlings kept appearing year after year (after year after year). They were a real pain. I moved to Maine and have found it through almost all of the woods I hike in. So it’s not really accurate to generalize that it is not an invasive species. You could more correctly say it *may* not be invasive in SOME situations.
I wonder if any studies have been done on whether your variety (the E. alatus ‘Compactus’ cultivar), is allelopathic? The lack of any seedlings whatsoever underneath the hedge is very intriguing! An easy way to test that would be to collect some fruit and plant it in containers (and wait for it to stratify of of course) to see if it germinates when not in the soil root zone of the mother plant.
Very interesting post but….I have to agree with some of the other commenters. Why plant this when there are natives with fall coloring that is just as beautiful?
Mike I agree with your stance on this completely. The people passing our laws our completely ignorant of what is going on in the natural world. I have worked in the landscape and nursery industry for the past twenty years I am also an observer of nature. I know very well what the invasive species our here in CT and which ones have come out of people’s landscapes. Unfortunately the cat is already out of the bag for most of them, and ironically the worst invasives were heavily planted by our own government to promote wildlife. Plants like multiflora rose, autumn olive and Kudzu. What is going on in our state government’s is akin to a witch hunt from the 1800’s. A type of Xenophobia for plants. How many people realize that the common apple is not native to this country? Apples can and will spread from seed in many parts of the country. Yet you will never see them on one invasive species list.
A properly maintained hedge of even the most invasive species will rarely produce prodigious amounts of seed, because the tips of the branches are sheared which removes the flowers and fruit. I would be willing to bet that the politicians passing these laws could not identify even half the plants that they put on the list. Go for a walk in the woods near your house and around your local area, you will become familiar with the problematic plants in your area. It would be nice if we didn’t have bittersweet strangling our trees here in CT, but we do and no amount of legislation will ever get rid of them.
I concure. Ironically although MA sports rights of an original Tea Party, It is invaded by lawyers & politicians with too little to do other than regulate the breath out of the public!
As a landscape designer in southwestern Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan, I can send you some photos you would find unbelievable … of how Euonymous Alatus is destroying the forests of the midwest! That hedgerow you pictured … is it surrounded by lawn grass? Sitting in the open sun as it is, I’ll bet it is. So the lawn gets mown every week or so … along with all the burning bush seedlings that eventually give up and die. Until the next one roots …
Meribeth,
This hedge row is in an area with many large trees, so shaded in fact there is no grass under the hedge row no reason for a mower to be there. The back side of the back part of that hedge? That area never gets mowed. I won’t deny what you are telling me, but I am showing the other side of the situation and in every situation Euonymus Alatus is not invasive. I appreciate your input and was surprised to see you report this from the shores of Lake Michigan. I originally made this post hoping for this kind of input. Thank you.
I am writing from Harbert, MI, only a couple hundred yards from Lake Michigan. We have heavily wooded acreage that definitely has zillions of the Alatus seedlings sprouting up everywhere. We are begging cottage owners to take them out. We do not have grass lawns, and the woods are filling up with a variety of invasives, including jet bead, winged euonymus, privet, Japanese barberry, Japanese honeysuckle, oriental bittersweet and others. We have battled, and largely won, invasion by garlic mustard, but it took us well over a decade. The worst, in some ways, was the well-intentioned English ivy, that cottage owners planted in the sandy soil in the 30s…… which now is killing acres of native undergrowth including seedlings of what should be the next generation of hardwood trees. It’s not about politics or lawmakers – it’s about our very real woods and our very real wildlife. Please don’t pretend that these issues are about legislators – a few items on the list may not be as you wish, but this isn’t a case of “big government”. I think the state departments for Natural Resources are very valuable, and hate it when their budgets are cut! Thank you.
Sharon,
Your comments are heard and your input is appreciated. Thank you!
Sharon, can I ask you how you defeated the garlic mustard? Anne
Burning Bush (E. alata) is very definitely invasive in the Northeast. The woods are full of it here. So your question should be, “Is Burning Bush invasive in XXX (name state or county)”.
But in any case, it is an Asian plant. Why not plant a native plant that supports the local insect and bird population. Do you like to see native birds? Then plant native plants that will host the insects that birds feed on. In the Northeast, 90% of the food that breeding birds bring back to their nests are caterpillars. This food source depends on the existence of native plants. A parallel example: Oaks are known to host 537 varieties of insects. The Asian imports, Zelkova and Gingko? Zero. (See Doug Tallamy, “Bringing Nature Home”.
Burning Bush and Japanese Barberry are prodigious berry producers and provide food for mature birds. Unfortunately, they do not support insects which provide the critical food for nestlings, thus seriously weakening the ecosystem especially when these plants start to become predominant in wild places.
But Mike, you have a great website which I have read for years; I have learned so much from it.You are a very inspirational grower.. Thank you!
All best,Pru
Do birds get a fine if they eat a seed in one State and deposit in another or God forbid they fly from Canada to the US.!
You’re most likely not going to see seedlings on a manicured lawn. I’m an Arborist and live in New Jersey. I went on vacation to Southern Jersey Shore taking a nature walk, I noticed over 1000 Burning Bushes as under brush to all these tall Pine trees. I didn’t think they were “that” invasive, until I noticed them and Japanese Barberry taking over in this wooded area. They are prolific seeders and birds love them.
Hurst,
The hedge in this photo is not in a manicured lawn. This area is shaded by larger trees and the soil under this hedge is grass free, exposed, rich soil. Perfect for growing. I’m sure they are prolific seeders in certain situations but having spent my entire adult life working with them I’ve seen very little evidence of it.
Mike.. I think the confusion starts when some Greenhouses, Seed Supply Houses, etc. list ‘Kochia’ as ‘Burning Bush’… which is actually a ‘Noxious Weed’ ! So the name ‘Burning Bush’ is taken as the entirely wrong species, perhaps making some places say it is a Banned Plant !
Jerry,
Unfortunately that’s not the case. The are official lists maintained by government agencies and they are very specific listing the plants by botanical name.
I live in SE South Dakota and want to somehow stop some of the wind on my acreage. There are absolutely no trees planted in this wonderful space and naturally I wish it could all be made woodsy, comfortable, carefree and enjoyable yesterday. This place is my lifelong dream that I finally acquired at my early age of 60 and would love to see it at its best.
I would like to put a 70 foot hedge along the south and north lot lines from the front of my house where I have planted a hedge of red stemmed dogwood. I was thinking of the brilliant red from the burning bush. Would it look out of place to put another colorful shrub between each of the burning bush? AND if so, what would you suggest. And if not, do you have any suggestions for a very thick hedge for full sun.
Your articles and videos have been a life (or maybe ‘nature’) saver.
Thank you.
Mary,
I appreciate your kind words. I think Burning Bush would be perfect. Keep in mind that Burning Bush is green all summer and a brilliant red for only a few weeks in the fall. Red Twig Dogwood really shines during the winter months so I don’t think they would contrast at all.
What about a Privet Hedge?
I have so many babies sprouts growing under my two large bushes that are about 25 yrs old. I finally started to use the black paper under the mulch to help keep them at bay. Helps a bit.
Hi Mike; I’ve been propagating burning bush, weigelia and others. if the burning bush was so ivasive, I wouldn’t have to propagate it. iv’e been watching your emails and vidios for a few years. You should have you own garden TV show. I ordered your book. after I learn anything new from it, I will pass it on to someone else
Frank,
You make an excellent point and thank you for buying my book and sharing it with others.
I had much rather have dwarf burning bush scattered around than the Russian olive that the department of natural resources planted in Georgia for the wild turkeys & then found it is an invasive plant that even if you spray it with roundup it still survives. . all birds & deer eat them & scatter them miles away. I do not know of anything that eats the bush . each bush gets 15-20 feet tall & across with thousands of berries.
I have a bush at least 35 yrs old, 10ft+ tall, leaves are very small, turning RED in late September.
Is it a Burning Bush?
Absolutely non-invasive
Detroit suburb area
Greg, you’ll be able to tell by looking at the stems, they will have slight ridges, or wings if you will. Burning bush does have a fairly small leaf.
I have sprouts from these plants all over. I’ve transplanted quite a few to create a hedge, but it didn’t even look like it made a dent in the millions of sprouts I have. Anybody is welcome to them! It only took one year of the 3 bushes I had to throw out seeds to become overrun with them.
Tennessee is one of the states that ban this shrub. They are beautiful but as stated above, the birds and wind cause them to reseed everywhere! I have two in my yard – the wild one and the compact – actually three, one volunteered in front of my mailbox and I constantly have to trim it. I have seedlings sprouting all over the place except near the established shrubs -weird!. The little ones are viney and hard to deal with if they get established the least little bit. Too bad I can’t sell these to you guys who don’t seem to have problems with them. 🙂
I think the question is rather why plant a nonnative shrub that does little or nothing to support the ecology of our gardens when there are so many natives that have gorgeous red autumn colors as well and can also be easily propagated?
Agreed. Aronia is an excellent choice, also known as Chokeberry.
Ecologists cringe when they hear or read the phrase….”THE ecology”.
Ecology is not a condition.or situation.
Ecology…is merely the STUDY of the ecosystem ( the relationship between the environment and all the organisms that live within it )
. Please use the phrase………”the ecosystem”, not…..”THE ecology”..
First of all, I agree with Pru.. Why plant nonnatives when you can plant natives that sustain our native wildlife? Secondly I disagree that non native burning bush is not invasive Sadly, it is growing quite happily in the woodlands in our area of the country.
Thanks for posting these responses Mike.
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Sharon
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Take the cuttings when he prunes it!
I have the same problem with Butterfly Bush here in Oregon. It’s considered invasive and can’t be sold, but the bush I see in the wild isn’t the beautiful bush I have in my yard.
You do not judge whether a species is invasive or by whether it has sprouts immediately around it. What is more important are the seeds consumed by birds and carried off and so you find burning bush growing in the wild where it doesn’t belong displacing native plants. Here in PA in zone 6 we routinely find this and also barberry in the wild. At the local nature preserve they have annual work days dedicated to removing these unwanted and invasive pests! They choke out jack in the pulpit, may apple and other species. In my opinion they are invasive but since you can’t kill them they are popular and an easy sell for those in the nursery business.
I agree with you, I have them growing u and down my road not from them spreading by roots, but they were carried by the birds w/ seeds they are taking over our natural habitats, and are becoming a problem, mine were dug up and removed last year
Yes, I don’t see the invaders under the hedge which is moved on both sides, but they appear in nearby spirea hedges and pacasandra, and in nearby woods. in southeastern PA.
If birds carry is off and drops seeds, how can you say it’s found where it doesn’t belong?
Also, a nature preserve removing unwanted species and pests? Who decides? You or nature?
Wow!
How many species that were already long ago established in the wild have to be pushed towards endangerment before a new species to that area are considered “unwelcome?” Don’t we have some responsibility to preserve diversity?
James,
They are are popular and an easy sell in the nursery business because they make excellent plants for so many different applications. Birds carry off seeds of everything and re-distribute them everywhere. I’m pretty sure that’s how nature works.
This is the part that really puzzles me. You’re in Pennsylvania, ,pretty much same climate as me. I’ve spent 43 years crawling around in the dirt in and around all kinds of Burning Bush and I’ve found so few seedlings I can barely recall when and where.
My grandmother’s burning bush was planted about late 1940s. After she passed on the house was empty for 15 years and all that had to be done was trim some of the horizontal growth to get in the house & garage – no discernible suckers or growth from seed – but then the cardinals ate all they could find. Wish I had grown it from cuttings – unwittingly planted the compact and am defending from rabbits 🙂
My father has a beautiful burning bush, it is at least 60 years old. He always says he will give me a cutting , but he never does. I hope I can get one of yours.
Tricia,
One mature Burning Bush will yield over 500 cuttings that are usually just trimmed away and tossed. You should easily be able to find some cuttings in your town. Wait until June and do them then.
I love our burning bushes. We live in the country, where we have to have a septic system which has three above ground tanks. We planted the bushes around the tanks to hide them. In the fall they are beautiful red. In the summer having green leaves. Would not get rid of them for nothing. Love them.!
Good thing its not kudzu!
So you grow it KNOWING the harm it causes…people in the last generation did not. This says SO much about you, and your neighbors will remember you for it. The fact that a) you can’t learn from the mistakes of others, b) you would put your self interest (in something merely pretty) ahead of both your human and natural community, and c) you can completely ignore the severe hardship this poses to those of us left to clean up your mess is why I support legislation; because you can’t make a decision that will save your grandkids millions of dollars and help prevent extinction of the native vegetation is the primary food producers that are absolutely needed by all native animals .
I once believed that humans were enlightened and able to make sane preventative decisions. Not any more. Sorry to be rude, but the obtuse selfishness here and total disregard for community, economy, and neighbor is utterly depressing. Do you think the people reporting it as invasive are lying?
The problem with invasive, is that you think there is no problem until there is a big problem, and then you realize what you are up against when you try to remove the plants…by that point the game is over.
You might as well be littering living things that grow, and reproduce and grow, and grow. The invasive plant and animal crisis is just starting, but the damage is still being done by people who can’t see how reliant the birds and butterflies they love is on the native shrub that was torn out to be replaced by something that has no food value to most creatures. Birds will not eat insects they don’t recognize, and caterpillars that make pollinators don’t eat plants they don’t recognize. These impacts are more costly than climate change (and in some cases potentiated by it). The ecosystems we were provided are creation…wonder what (your choice of deity) would think of what we do. If you don’t think the extinction crisis is in your back yard and you are causing it, you might want to learn a little about it.
MB Whitcomb you said it best. I lost respect for this site when I saw the plants that were being pushed for the sake of personal MONETARY gain. But having lived in Ohio for 20+ years, I have learned that my sweet conservative neighbors basically are selfish and self-serving people with no regard for scientific research, preservation of the planet, or the greater good of all people. I am a professional horticulturist at a botanical garden, and we are pulling every plant on the invasive lists because IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. The reason I am commenting here is because this site came up in my research of invasive plants in the state of Ohio. Please, all the people defending this plant, take your blinders off. You’ll be the same ones screaming bloody murder and looking for a scapegoat when your ecosystem is ruined and your food supply dwindles. And you’ll probably be blaming all those who don’t think like you do. I wish I had never spent my hard earned $40 on Mr. McGroarty’s nonsense. Thank you for letting me express my opinion.
LN,
Seems to me that a professional horticulturist gets paid a salary and it also seems to me that doing so is personal monetary gain. But somehow that’s different than me helping people live their dream? Your opinion is appreciated.