Home Improvement Shrub Plantings - The Burning Bush

Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) A deciduous shrub from the Tree Family (Celastraceae) Burning Bush, a non-native species from China and Korea, has escaped from the ornamental plantings into urban and rural areas. It travels by way of its seed. This plant is found in forests and brushy areas. This vase-shaped shrub has great red fall foliage, which glows for weeks in early to mid-autumn. Burning Bushes can be sheared into hedges or globes in landscape plantings. Hedges from burning bushes can be very dense giving good screening even in the winter. If left unpruned, the compact form of Burning Bush will grow to about 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide, and the winged form will grow to about 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. In our area it propagates naturally in shaded areas. We obtain some of our stock from seedlings we gather from a small farm cemetery on our property. It even regrows after transplanting from the empty holes where roots are exposed. Burning Bush is adaptable to a variety of soil conditions. Fertile to sterile, organic to clay, acidic to alkaline, rocky to sandy this plant proves its strenght. It does not like wet soils, but does well in dry soils. Its small fiberous roots are near the surface and responds well to root pruning. Balling and burlapping this shrub does little damage for the plant can take abuse and recover quickly. This plant will give years of enjoyment. If you have a brown thumb, then this plant is for you. You can see more of Bill's planting tips and articles at http://www.seedlingsrus.com or http://www.zone5trees.com