Burning bush
Euonymus alatus · Celastraceae Popular
A dense, rounded shrub with corky wings on its stems, famous for turning brilliant, uniform scarlet in autumn.
- Size
- 11½ ft tall, 11½ ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
Invasive in parts of North America. Birds spread the seed into woodland, where the seedlings form dense thickets. Listed as invasive across the Northeast and Midwest, and banned from sale in several states. The planner never chooses it.
Where burning bush goes in a border
At 11½ ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is super tall (over 6½ ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
The autumn colour made it one of the most planted shrubs in North America. Birds carry its seed into woodland, where it forms thickets, so the planner will not choose it. Red chokeberry, fothergilla and highbush blueberry colour as well.
- Formerly the standard shrub for autumn colour
- Hedges
- Not recommended
What to plant with burning bush
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its medium ones; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- Daylily: adds the flowers, late June to early August; low enough (2½ ft) to stand in front of it.
- Dwarf Korean lilac 'Palibin': adds the flowers, late May to early June; low enough (5 ft) to stand in front of it.
Choosing between it and a look-alike? Burning bush vs Red chokeberry 'Brilliantissima'.
Questions about burning bush
Does burning bush need sun or shade?
Burning bush grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does burning bush grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should burning bush be planted?
8 ft (250 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 11½ ft (350 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 11½ ft (350 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many burning bush plants do I need?
Usually one. At 8 ft (250 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 8 ft apart: two plants for a 10 ft run.
Is burning bush poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the berries, are poisonous if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
What can I plant instead of burning bush?
Burning bush is listed as invasive in parts of North America, so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job:
- Golden fullmoon maple: the same job in a bed and the same size; wants moist soil.
- Blue holly 'Blue Princess': the same job in a bed; 20 in narrower, keeps its leaves in winter.
- Common boxwood: the same job in a bed; 20 in narrower, fine leaves, not medium.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat burning bush?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
Will burning bush spread?
It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is high. Birds spread the seed into woodland, where the seedlings form dense thickets. Listed as invasive across the Northeast and Midwest, and banned from sale in several states.
It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.
What does burning bush look like in winter?
Burning bush drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is burning bush good for bees and butterflies?
Burning bush is visited by bees and songbirds.
More Euonymus
- Golden Japanese euonymus Euonymus japonicus 'Aureomarginatus'
- Wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei
- Wintercreeper 'Emerald 'n' Gold' Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 11½ ft (350 cm) tall, 11½ ft (350 cm) wide
- Plant
- 8 ft (250 cm) apart
- Height class
- Super tall (over 6½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium texture, deciduous; green, red
- Shape
- Rounded, self-seeding
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Celastraceae
- Comes from
- South Siberia to East Asia, Japan and China
- Attracts
- Bees, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Drought, black walnut, erosion
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.