I have both the standard and dwarf varieties planted in 3 different areas. I love them, have had them for years and can't imaging why they would be considered invasive. Maybe someone else can help with that.

The pro is (obviously) the fantastic fall color. The con is that you give up any show of flowers. The biggest problem I've seen is that people under estimate the ultimate size of this shrub, even the dwarf variety, and I think the plant loses its graceful look if you have to use hedge trimmers to limit the size. It sounds like you are well prepared to know how big they get.

my experience is that they will spread, but not wildly so- we're not talking about bamboo. Deer love the young plants and will mow them right down.

I found in one reference book I have read that The Burning Bush talks a lot and makes too many demands.

It took me about two beats to figure that out -- now I've just wet my pants laughing!

I have two well established burning bushes, at least fifteen years. At least, I think they are burning bushes. When we bought them, the tags said burning bush on them. Mine are over six feet tall and I was going to ask if I should prune them to about half their size. My burning bushes don't fit the description of the "flowers". The bushes do turn red in the fall for about a day. In the spring and after the green leaves come out, I get little pale green flowerets in a star shape. Is this a burning bush? Must I get rid of these bushes if they are invasive?

Hmmmm - does anyone know about this? I didn't think they got flowers at all, but I truly have no idea.
Also, are they really only colorful for about a day? That would be a bummer. I think we all sort of decided that burning bushes aren't what we consider invasive -- at least not here in the South.

Unfortunately, there is no law that says you HAVE to get rid of any plant that is labeled invasive. Hopefully we'll get a law one day against selling some of the worst ones, but even then people that already have them probably won't have to get rid of them.

Yes, they have flowers. The flowers are pretty quiet as they are for all Euonymus species. The flowers then turn into small red berries. The birds eat the berries, fly away and poop them out - that is how this plant spreads.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:828761}}

Thanks for the picture,esh ga. That is exactly what my bush is putting out but I don't remember any red berries. I wonder if I should just chop them down. With a well established root system, I'm afraid these bushes will interfere with my winter susanquas growing in back of them. I know for certain that I can't just pull them out.

cponak, to kill a woody plant without digging it out, try cutting it down to the ground and then apply a small amount of brush killer directly to the cut stump.

Esh, interesting picture! Great to see, since it doesn't look exactly like my neighbor's gorgeous, tall shrub. Maybe it is a different kind of euonymous. cponak, if you like your bushes, don't feel that you have to get rid of them! They are not invasive like kudzu..... unless you know they are going to crowd out something you like better.

Hey - it is clouding up outside! Rain - please!!!!!

I find it invasive. There was a ton of burning bush coming up in a local natural area I was cleaning to be wildlife habitat. It was everywhere. The nearest bush I know of is 1/2 mile away - it's not all over man's yard who has it...but the birds roost in the natural area so therefore poop seeds all night. They don't roost near the Mother shrub. Killing burning bush was a new one on me this year. Also found a lot of Mahonia bealei and liriope coming up. Uggh.

Please consider an alternative - red twig dogwood (artic fire - LOUD in winter), ariona (autumn magic is lovely), even the ninebarks. All the color choice (diablo, summer wine, copertina, darts gold) have the same basic shape and beautiful color, winter interest. Moonshine Designs Nursery carries all of these. The ninebark is grown by Monrovia I think so may be easy to find.

Tea viburnum (Viburnum setigerum) is a non-native which is not invasive that I know of, vase shape stunning plant and wildlife, woodland friendly. Fairweather Gardens and Lazy S'S Farm Nursery carry this. Check Fairweather Gardens for the Prince William Serviceberry, too, that's a great shrub. Color, berries, good shape, attractive foliage...and coralberry (Symphoricarpos x doorenbosii Amethyst), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), planted together those two are outstanding. And unique. Don't forget unique!

This is just one opinion after seeing it carpeting the woods...and rain would be great right about now!!

Why copy your neighbor?? Be different! :)

Hope you all don't mind me dropping in for a visit. Not much going on in my regularly visited forums today.

I'm surprised that no one mentioned checking the GA-EPPC to see if Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush) is invasive or not. All GA gardeners should be very familiar with this resource and consult it any time questions arise about something being invasive in GA.

Euonymus alatus is a Category 4 invasive in GA. That means it "is naturalized in Georgia but generally does not pose a problem in Georgia natural areas or (is) a potentially invasive plant in need of additional information to determine its true status." Basically, in GA, this plant is pretty low on the totem pole of invasive problems. You might should consider an alternative if you are getting ready to plant one, but there is little need for great concern if you already have one or see one growing in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: GA-EPPC Invasive Plants List

Get out the crucifix! The silver shovel. It never dies!

I dug one out 6 years ago....because I needed a ladder to prune it. Inherited it from the previous owners. I dug that sucker out completely. It was huge. I went down deep. Ohhh ya, right.

Pruned at least 15 big sucker plants this afternoon...this many years later. And come to find a fully formed bush between my fence and huge rhody. Arghhhh.

Do not plant this stinkin' shrub unless you want to be wedded to it and its family for eternity.

I just bought 3 more today! I already have 3 that are just beautiful, probably 5 years old, I have each planted in their own seperate area, nothing to close so hopefully they will be ok. The deer have not bothered mine....

carper, where did you buy it? I've been looking all over for some. I would like the dwarf variety.

I have one in a large container. Its been there for 7 years and shows no sign of stress from it. Drought has not bothered it. It has beautiful color in the fall and then suddenly the leaves fall off. I am assuming mine is actually Burning Bush because it was labeled that way at Home Depot. I have never seen another one come up in the yard. I am amazed that is has lived so long in a pot. I was afraid to plant it in the ground because I had heard it was invasive.

susan - invasive comes in two forms: invasive by roots such as suckering growth from shrubs and vines, and invasive by seed such as dispersed by wind/water/birds. Burning bush is invasive by seeds dispersed by birds. Putting it in a pot does not make it less invasive and if it is spreading seeds thanks to the birds, you don't always see them in YOUR yard. They are likely in a neighbor's yard or a mile away.

I pull up seedlings of privet, nandina, mahonia, elaeagnus and ornamental pear (Bradford) in my yard on a regular basis even though I have none of these things in my yard. I even pull up the occasional monkey grass (Liriope)!

Blueberries make a nice substitute for Burning Bush; they have great fall color.

That's a great idea about using Blueberry. Thanks for the info. I have Mahonia all over the place and have to pull it up all the time, also privet, both invasive in my book. My Lenten Rose spreads all over too, but I like it a lot.

buford, I purchased my burning bush from Whispering Springs Nursery in Jasper, GA.

I have two burning bushes that are growing like crazy. If you'd like a cutting, just let me know. We moved in only a month ago, so I can't be sure, but I think they are 2-3 years old. So far, they haven't taken over my yard by spreading baby bushes; rather, they are just growing faster than we can trim them back.

However, I do wish our predecessors had planted a native plant with more attractive flowers and less risk of invasiveness. Maybe the fall color will change my mind, but at the moment these plants don't strike me as fantastic looking (just really huge!). Good luck with your decision.