Hardy Burning Bushes Provide Brilliant Color

Summary

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Burning bushes (Euonymus alata) consistently produce some of our most vibrant fall foliage. Their glowing red leaves are definitely a show stopper in the landscape. Another benefit of these shrubs is that they are very easy to grow in Central Illinois, which accounts for why they are frequently planted along interstate highways, where conditions are less than optimal for most ornamental plants. These shrubs are sometimes referred to as winged euonymus because of the corky "wings" which flare out from their branches.

Native to northeastern China, Korea and Japan, this shrub is a member of the bittersweet family. It is believed the burning bush was introduced into the United States about 1860. By 1900, it was being cultivated in most American nurseries. Because most varieties are flat-topped, wide-spreading and tolerate pruning well, they have often been used for hedges, but they also work well as specimen or foundation shrubs. Cultivar heights vary from a compact three feet up to 20 feet.

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Extract

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Hardy Burning Bushes Provide Brilliant Color

Easy to grow, burning bushes will adapt to most soils, though they do not tolerate...

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