At a glance
| Botanical name | Euonymus alatus |
|---|---|
| Other names | Winged euonymus, winged burning bush, winged spindle tree |
| Family | Celastraceae (staff-tree or bittersweet family) |
| Type | Deciduous shrub |
| Native range | Northeastern Asia, Japan, and central China |
| USDA zones | 4–8 |
| Mature size | 15–20 ft tall and wide; 'Compactus' (sold as dwarf) 4–10 ft |
| Light | Full sun to deep shade (best fall color in sun) |
| Fall color | Bright red in sun; paler peach to pinkish-orange in shade |
| Fruit | Reddish to purplish capsules splitting to show orange-red seeds in fall; spread by birds |
| Invasive status | Invasive in much of the East and Midwest; sale banned in Massachusetts; noxious weed in Pennsylvania and Minnesota; regulated (warning label) in New York |
| Toxicity | All parts poisonous if eaten in large quantities (low severity, per NC State Extension) |
What burning bush is
Burning bush is a deciduous shrub from northeastern Asia, brought to North America as an ornamental in the mid-1800s. It became one of the most-planted landscape shrubs in the Northeast and Midwest for three reasons: it tolerates almost any soil and light, it shrugs off most pests, and in October it turns a vivid, uniform red.
The same traits make it a problem outside the yard. Birds eat the seeds and drop them in woodlands, where the shrub tolerates deep shade and grows into dense thickets. Extension services from Minnesota to Maryland now classify it as invasive, and several states regulate or ban its sale.
The name also gets confused with the biblical burning bush in Exodus. This page is only about the landscape shrub, Euonymus alatus.
How to identify burning bush
- Corky wings on the stems. The species name alatus means winged. Twigs usually carry two to four flat, corky ridges running along their length. Wings can be faint on some plants and on compact selections, so check older stems.
- Opposite leaves. Leaves sit in pairs across from each other. They are elliptic, roughly 1–3 inches long, finely toothed, and medium green in summer.
- Fall color. Leaves turn bright red to scarlet in full sun; in shade the color can be a paler peach to pinkish orange.
- Flowers. Small, greenish-yellow, four-petaled flowers in spring (May to June in Missouri and Minnesota) that most people never notice.
- Fruit. Small purplish-red capsules split in fall to reveal seeds covered in a bright orange-red coating. They hang on after leaf drop.
- Habit. Broad, dense, rounded to flat-topped shrub with horizontal layers of branches.
Burning bush vs. look-alikes
| Plant | Leaves | Stems | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burning bush (Euonymus alatus), invasive | Opposite, finely toothed, 1–3 in | Usually 2–4 corky wings | Purplish capsules with orange-red seeds |
| Eastern wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus), native | Opposite, larger (about 2½–4 in) | No corky wings | Pale pink to purple four-lobed capsules with red-coated seeds; reddish-purple flowers |
| Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), native | Alternate, smooth to finely toothed | No wings; often reddish, speckled young twigs | Blue berries in summer; white bell flowers in spring |
| Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), native | Alternate, finely toothed, glossy | No wings | Black berries; white flowers in spring |
If the leaves are alternate, it is not burning bush. Opposite leaves plus corky wings is the quick confirmation. Penn State Extension notes that the native euonymus species all lack the corky wings, and that young sweetgum can have winged twigs but has star-shaped, five-lobed, alternate leaves.
Is burning bush invasive?
Yes. The University of Minnesota Extension, Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Morton Arboretum all describe it as invasive. The mechanism is consistent across their accounts:
- Birds spread the seed. Fruit-eating birds carry seeds from yards into forests, hedgerows, and old fields.
- It thrives in shade. Unlike many ornamentals, it establishes under a forest canopy, where seedlings can carpet the ground beneath a fruiting parent.
- It crowds out natives. Dense thickets shade out wildflowers, ferns, and native shrub and tree seedlings.
- Cultivars still seed. 'Compactus', the "dwarf burning bush" sold at many garden centers, is still the same species and still produces fruit. That is why state rules generally cover the whole species, not just the full-size plant.
If you have burning bush in a foundation planting next to woods, it is likely contributing seedlings to the woodland edge, even if you never see them.
Where burning bush is banned or regulated
Rules change, so confirm the current list for your state before buying or selling plants. As of October 2026:
| State | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | On the Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List | Sale, trade, purchase, distribution, and propagation are banned statewide. Existing plantings are not required to be removed. |
| New York | Regulated invasive species under DEC rules (6 NYCRR Part 575) | Can be sold, but businesses must label it in at least 14-point type with the warning "Invasive Species - Harmful to the Environment." |
| Pennsylvania | Class B noxious weed on the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture list | Noxious weeds cannot be sold, transported, planted, or otherwise propagated in the state; Penn State Extension notes it is now illegal to purchase, intentionally plant, or propagate burning bush there. |
| Minnesota | Restricted noxious weed | Prohibited from sale, propagation, and transport. Per University of Minnesota Extension, homeowners are not required to remove existing plants. |
| Other states | Listed as invasive by agencies and invasive plant councils in much of the Northeast and Midwest | For example, the Indiana Invasive Species Council rates it a medium threat (per Purdue Landscape Report). Your state department of agriculture or Extension office has the current list. |
The UMass Extension Landscape program maintains a guide to non-invasive alternatives for plants on the Massachusetts list, a useful starting point even outside the state.
Native alternatives to burning bush with red fall color
Purdue Landscape Report, UMass Extension, Penn State Extension, and University of Minnesota Extension all point gardeners to shrubs that deliver strong fall color, many of them native and offering flowers and fruit for birds as well. Check that a plant is native to your region and suits your soil.
| Native shrub | Fall color | Bonus seasons | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) | Red to orange-red | White spring flowers, edible summer berries | Acidic, moist, well-drained soil; see blueberry bush care |
| Fothergilla (Fothergilla spp.) | Yellow, orange, and red, often on one plant | Fragrant white bottlebrush flowers in spring | Acidic, well-drained soil; sun to part shade |
| Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) | Red to burgundy, often late and long-lasting | Drooping white flower spikes in early summer | Moist to wet spots and rain gardens |
| Black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) | Red to purple-red | White spring flowers, black fruit | Wet or dry sites, sun to part shade; see aronia care |
| Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) | Burgundy to red-purple | Large white summer flower panicles, peeling bark | Part shade; native to the Southeast; see oakleaf hydrangea care |
| Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) | Orange to red | Early white flowers, summer berries birds love | Large shrub or small tree; see serviceberry cultivars |
| Arrowwood and other native viburnums (Viburnum spp.) | Red to purple | Flat white flower clusters, blue-black fruit | Hedges and screens; see viburnum care and watch for viburnum leaf beetle |
| Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) | Orange to red | Early yellow flowers, fuzzy red fruit | Dry slopes and banks, low massing |
Pick a replacement by site
| Where the burning bush is now | Native replacements to consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny foundation bed, limited width | Fothergilla, fragrant sumac, compact highbush blueberry selections | Smaller natural size means less shearing than a burning bush held in check |
| Hedge or screen | Arrowwood viburnum, black chokeberry, serviceberry | Multi-stemmed, dense, and fruiting for birds |
| Part shade under trees | Oakleaf hydrangea, fothergilla, native viburnums | Tolerate partial shade while still coloring in fall |
| Wet or poorly drained spot | Virginia sweetspire, black chokeberry, highbush blueberry | All tolerate moist soil |
| Dry bank or slope | Fragrant sumac | Spreads to hold soil and handles dry sites |
Fall color on all of these is strongest in sun. For more options by season and region, see the best perennials and shrubs for fall color.
How to remove burning bush
Penn State Extension and the NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox describe a size-based approach:
- Pull seedlings. Young seedlings pull easily when the soil is moist. Check the ground under and downhill of existing plants, and along nearby woodland edges.
- Dig or lever out medium shrubs. Cut back the top to see what you are doing, then use a hoe or a root-wrenching tool to pull out most of the root system, which the plant does not recover from.
- Cut and treat large shrubs. Cutting alone leads to resprouting. Cut the stems near the ground and treat the cut surface with an herbicide labeled for cut-stump use on woody plants; Penn State notes that water-based cut-stump mixes must go on immediately after cutting. Follow the label for product, rate, timing, and protective equipment.
- Remove fruit if you cannot remove the plant yet. Cutting off fruiting branches before the capsules open reduces seed spread while you plan a replacement. Bag the fruit and put it in the trash rather than compost.
- Replant the gap. Fill the space with one of the native shrubs above so the bare soil does not sprout a new crop of seedlings.
If you keep an existing burning bush
Where it is legal to keep, some homeowners leave an established plant in place for now. If you do:
- When to prune or trim: Like most deciduous shrubs grown for foliage, it is best pruned while dormant in late winter or early spring, before new leaves emerge. It tolerates hard pruning and shearing. Pruning before fruit forms also reduces seed. See how to prune shrubs for cuts and timing.
- Is it too late to trim? Light shaping can happen in early summer. Heavy cutting in late summer and fall can push tender new growth before winter, and it removes the foliage you kept the plant for.
- Size control: Even "dwarf" plants outgrow foundation spots. Repeated shearing to hold a 15-foot shrub at 4 feet is a sign it is time to replace it.
- Pests: It has few serious problems. Euonymus scale is mainly a pest of evergreen euonymus; see scale on euonymus if you see white or brown specks on stems.
Planting a new burning bush is not recommended anywhere it is listed as invasive, and it is illegal to buy or sell in Massachusetts.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it matters | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Buying 'dwarf' burning bush as a safe choice | 'Compactus' is the same species and still sets fruit that birds spread | Choose a native shrub such as fothergilla, blueberry, or Virginia sweetspire |
| Cutting it down and walking away | Stumps resprout | Dig out the roots or treat the fresh cut with a labeled herbicide |
| Composting fruit | Seeds can survive and sprout where compost is spread | Bag fruit and send it out with the trash |
| Removing it and leaving bare soil | Seedlings and other weeds fill the gap | Replant immediately with a native shrub |
| Ignoring the woodland edge | Bird-spread seedlings establish in shade out of sight | Scout under trees and along hedgerows every fall |
Frequently asked
Is burning bush invasive?
Yes. Extension services including Minnesota, Penn State, and Maryland, along with the Morton Arboretum, classify burning bush as invasive. Birds spread its seeds into woodlands, where it tolerates shade and forms dense thickets that crowd out native plants.
Why can't you buy burning bush anymore?
Some states restrict it because it is invasive. Massachusetts places it on its Prohibited Plant List, which bans its sale and propagation, and Pennsylvania and Minnesota list it as a noxious weed that cannot be sold or propagated. New York still allows sales but requires an invasive-species warning label.
When should you trim a burning bush?
Prune in late winter or early spring while the shrub is dormant, before new leaves appear. It tolerates hard pruning. Avoid heavy pruning in late summer and fall, which can trigger tender growth and removes the fall color.
How big does a burning bush get?
The species grows 15–20 feet tall and wide, per NC State Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation. 'Compactus', sold as dwarf burning bush, is smaller at about 4–10 feet, so it still frequently outgrows foundation plantings.
What does a burning bush look like?
It is a dense, rounded deciduous shrub with opposite, finely toothed, elliptic leaves and twigs that usually carry two to four corky wings. Leaves turn bright red in fall, and small capsules split to show orange-red seeds.
What can I plant instead of burning bush?
Native shrubs with strong red or orange fall color include highbush blueberry, fothergilla, Virginia sweetspire, black chokeberry, serviceberry, native viburnums, and fragrant sumac. Many also offer spring flowers and fruit for birds.
Is the dwarf burning bush invasive too?
Yes. 'Compactus' is a selection of the same species and still produces fruit that birds spread. State restrictions such as the Massachusetts ban apply to the species, including its cultivars.
Sources
- Burning bush, The Morton Arboretum
- Euonymus alatus, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Burning Bush, Penn State Extension
- Burning bush, University of Minnesota Extension
- Burning Bush, University of Maryland Extension
- Burning Bush (Winged Euonymus), Missouri Department of Conservation
- Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
- Invasive Species Regulations (6 NYCRR Part 575), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Controlled Plant & Noxious Weed Lists, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
- Alternatives to Burning Bush for Fall Color, Purdue Landscape Report
- Hort Notes: Massachusetts Prohibited Plants and Non-Invasive Alternatives, UMass Extension