Burning bush: flowering, location & care of Euonymus alatus

The deep red fall colour makes the hardy and low-maintenance burning bush a real eye-catcher even in cities.

Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) can be used in a variety of ways in the garden, for example as a deciduous hedge with a wow factor in the autumn or as robust and low-maintenance ornamental shrubs in the front garden. In this article you will learn everything about the cultivation and care of the burning bush. We also present some varieties and answer the question of whether the burning bush is poisonous.

Burning bush: origin and characteristics

Euonymus alatus is known to us by many names. These range from winged spindle, winged euonymus to burning bush. The words wing occur in many of the names, indicating a special characteristic of this Euonymus species. The bark of the winged shrubs is characterised by the fact that usually four cork ridges protrude from the green, angular branches like small wings. Originally Euonymus alatus came from the East Asian region. However, since the burning bush is relatively undemanding as far as the location is concerned and can tolerate temperatures down to -34 °C, it can also be planted here without any problems. With a final height of about 2 to 3 metres and about the same width, the rather slow but spreading shrub is suitable as a solitary shrub in the garden or at the edges of ponds. Its roots run flat and are very finely branched. Burning bush endures pruning without complaint and willingly sprouts again and again, if it is sufficiently supplied with water. It is considered a good urban shrub, as it can easily cope with warm air, road salt and smoke.

The most famous highlight of the burning bush is without doubt its foliage. While it is still green and rather inconspicuous during the summer, it turns from fiery red to pink or purple in the autumn, depending on the variety and location, making it a real eye-catcher. This also explains the common name of burning bush. The flowers of the burning bush, on the other hand, are rather inconspicuous. They are small, yellow-green and can be seen only between May and June. Instead, they develop striking red-orange capsule fruits that remain on the shrub throughout the winter and are readily eaten by birds as winter food. The fruits can also be extremely tempting to us humans – but you should not taste them, because they are poisonous to us.

Tip: Even though the burning bush is poisonous to us humans and many animals, it is still indispensible in animal-friendly gardens. In spring, the flowers of Euonymus alatus, inconspicuous to us, are bustling with insects, and in autumn and winter the fruits provide food for many birds. Pets and other garden animals usually know exactly what they can eat and avoid the burning bush anyway.

The best burning bush varieties

In many gardens, shrubs with a height and width of almost 3 meters are difficult to fit, no matter how good they look. For this reason, some significantly smaller varieties were bred. But even those who have a lot of space can enjoy some special varieties.

Euonymus alatus ‘Blade Runner’: ‘Blade Runner’ grows only slightly lower than the species. However, it stands out with its cork strips of up to 2 cm wide. These are especially noticeable in the winter when there are no leaves, making it a real eye-catcher even in the cold season.

Euonymus alatus ‘Fireball’: Here, too, the name says it all, because the growth of the variety ‘Fireball’ is spherical. The shrub grows up to 3 metres high and almost as wide. However, it is very slow to reach these dimensions, as ‘Fireball’, like the species, grows very slowly, by about 10 to 20 cm per year.

Euonymus alatus ‘Chicago Fire’: In habit, ‘Chicago Fire’ differs little from the species, growing about the same size and width. However, the variety is characterised by a particularly early onset and long-lasting autumn colour.

Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’: As its name suggests, the burning bush cultivar ‘Compactus’ remains much more compact than the species, with a height of 1 to 1.5 meters and about the same width. Even though it is not the smallest variety, this has earned it the nickname of dwarf burning bush. Thus, the low burning bush is ideal for gardens with limited space, but where you still do not want to miss the unique autumn colour.

Euonymus alatus ‘Little Moses’: One of the smallest varieties of burning bush is ‘Little Moses’. The variety grows broad and roundish, but reaches a maximum height of 80-100 cm. It can be well grown in containers on the terrace, balcony or small gardens. Like all varieties of Euonymus alatus, ‘Little Moses’ is hardy in our area.

Planting burning bush

A suitable location for Euonymus alatus is sunny with well-drained, rather nutrient-rich soil. However, even partial shade is well tolerated. Very loamy or clay-rich soils should be improved, for example, by mixing in compost or our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost. It is important to make sure that the site is uniformly moist. The shallow root system is quickly damaged in drought, so little water is very poorly tolerated in the long term. In theory, you can plant new plants all year round in the frost-free period. However, it is better if the planting is done either in the spring or in the autumn. The rest of the procedure for planting burning bush can be found in the article on the genus of spindle shrubs (Euonymus). After planting, it is advisable to mulch around the bush. This provides more even moisture in the soil, protecting the delicate fine roots mentioned above. For example, sheep’s wool or bark mulch can be used for this.

Tip: The burning bush also thrives in shadier locations, but there the foliage turns pink rather than red in the autumn.

Burning bush can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. You can read more about propagation by cuttings in the general article on spindle shrubs. Propagation of burning bush by seed is not particularly simple. With luck, however, a burning bush will self-seed. Then you can simply dig up the seedlings and transplant them.

Tip: Burning bush can be well grown in a pot. This should be rather wide to accommodate the shallow, spreading root system. Also, change the substrate every two to three years. For this purpose, we recommend a soil with a favourable ratio between air and water capacity, for example, our Plantura Organic All Purpose Compost. This provides all the essential nutrients and is also completely peat-free, which is why its production emits almost 60% less CO₂ compared to conventional soils. Since Euonymus alatus is very hardy, it does not need special protection even during the winter.

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The most important care measures

Euonymus alatus is considered relatively low maintenance. Once it is well established in a suitable location, it usually does not require watering. Only during long periods of drought, when the leaves being to droop, should you reach for the watering can or, better, the water hose and give the burning bush a good watering. However, on poor soils that dry out more quickly, regular watering is essential, because the burning bush has quite shallow roots.

It is not necessary to prune Euonymus alatus. The shrub grows rather slowly and its natural growth habit, reminiscent of an umbrella, creates a wonderful effect. If you still want to prune your winged spindle bush, for example, because it has grown too large, you can safely reach for the pruning shears. Topiary or hedge trimming is usually well tolerated by the burning bush. Another option is to grow the burning bush as a multi-stemmed standard. Thinning burning bush is also not necessary, but you can remove dead, died off wood. The best time for pruning is in late winter or early spring.

If the soil is rather poor in nutrients, care for the burning bush may include annual fertilisation in the spring. For this purpose, use fertilisers with a long-term effect, such as our Plantura All Purpose Plant Food or compost. However, taking into account the shallow root system, it is best not to work the fertiliser into the soil, but only distribute it under the mulch layer.

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In terms of diseases, Euonymus alatus is attacked only very rarely. Under unfavourable conditions, it may be attacked by powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis) or some rust fungus species (Pucciniales spec.), which can be recognised by white coating or red pustules, respectively. However, most often burning bush copes well with these diseases and control is not necessary.

However, occasionally the bush is attacked by pests. Aphids (Aphidoidea) and especially some ermine moth species (Yponomeutidae spec.) can be extremely troublesome. Even though even these two usually do not harm the bush so much, and it will resprout the following year at the very least, you can take action against them. In the case of ermine moths, infested branches should be removed and, ideally, disposed of in household waste.

Summary: Care measures

• Watering is necessary only during prolonged periods of drought, if the soil is good.
• Euonymus alatus does not need to be pruned. However, topiary, pruning back, or recovery pruning can be done in early spring before budbreak.
• Fertilisation is also not absolutely necessary, but can be carried out on relatively nutrient-poor soils in the spring at the beginning of growth.
• Most often burning bush is spared from diseases. However, some pests such as ermine moths can become a nuisance.

Is Euonymus alatus poisonous?

Like all Euonymus species, burning bush is poisonous. This applies not only to humans, but also to most pets and garden animals. Only birds are happy about the seeds of Euonymus alatus, which are very poisonous for us. Symptoms of consumption can be varied, ranging from abdominal pain and nausea to kidney damage and circulatory problems. In very severe cases, eating the poisonous burning bush could even result in death.

If you too are always impressed by the splendour of colours of some trees and shrubs in autumn, take a closer look at our special article on this topic. In this we present 10 more shrubs and trees with intense autumn colour.