Appearance

Appearance

Raised tan or brown corky wings usually run lengthwise along young green stems.

Growth form

An unpruned shrub can reach 15–20 ft (4.6–6.1 m) tall and about as wide.

Leaves

The opposite, finely toothed leaves are 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 cm) long and turn vivid crimson in fall.

Flowers

Small greenish flowers appear in spring and are easy to miss.

Fruit

In fall, colorful capsules split to expose seeds wrapped in orange-red coverings.

Look-alikes

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• woodland edges
• forests
• roadsides
• old landscape plantings

Range

It is native to East Asia but now occurs widely in the eastern and central United States after escaping ornamental plantings.

Preferred conditions

It tolerates sun or shade and many soil types, which helps it spread into both open ground and forest understories.

Life cycle

Seed dispersal

Birds eat the fruit and carry seeds away from gardens, helping the shrub invade natural areas.

Cautions

Cautions

Its fruit and other parts are poisonous if eaten, especially in large amounts.

Connected species

Seed dispersers

• fruit-eating birdsAves

  Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds beyond plantings in the eastern United States.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

'Compactus' is a shorter garden variety, but it can spread beyond gardens.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed

Threats

Dense growth can shade out native plants and replace the natural shrub layer in invaded woods.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories

• The name burning bush refers to its intense red fall foliage, while winged euonymus refers to the corky stem ridges.
• Pennsylvania lists it as a Class B noxious weed and prohibits selling, transporting, planting, or propagating it there.