Start growing
Extremely adaptable and easy to grow. Full sun yields the best red color.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Burning Bush
Euonymus alatus
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Burning Bush care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Euonymus alatus
- Common names
- Winged Spindle, Winged Euonymus
- Family
- Celastraceae
- Genus
- Euonymus
- Species
- E. alatus
Growing with your kit
The Seeds In A Cup® Methodology highlights the unique 'wing' formation on the stems in the second year.
Propagation
By seed or softwood cuttings.
Seasonal growth & harvest
Spectacular fall display; produces small purple capsules with orange seeds.
Growing conditions
Woodland edges and thickets.
Weather & tolerances
High drought and salt tolerance; handles heavy pruning well.
Pests & plant health
Euonymus scale (destructive insect).
Plant safety
All parts of the plant are mildly toxic if ingested.
Botanical features
A deciduous shrub famous for its brilliant red autumn foliage. Stems often have 2-4 broad corky wings.
Varieties
‘Compacta’ (Dwarf variety).
Garden & everyday uses
Hedges, screen planting, and dramatic specimen shrub
Native range & distribution
Native to Central and Northern China, Japan, and Korea.
Conservation
Considered invasive in some portions of the Eastern US.
Name origins
‘Alatus’ is Latin for winged, referring to the corky ridges on the stems.
History
Introduced to North America in the 1860s as a premier ornamental.