Euonymus alatus

Burning bush is the compact, rounded shrub that turns the most intense shade of fluorescent pinkish-red in fall that any woody plant in the temperate world can produce. You have driven past it in October, it is the one that looks like it is plugged into an electrical outlet, so vivid it almost hurts to look at. The common name is not an exaggeration. It grows about six feet tall with a dense, rounded form, and the stems carry distinctive corky wings, thin, flat ridges along the branches, that add winter texture after the leaves drop.

Here is the complication: burning bush is invasive. It is classified as invasive in much of the eastern United States and is banned from sale in several states. In Western Washington, the cooler climate slows its spread relative to the East Coast, but it does self-seed into natural areas via bird-dispersed fruit. Four diseases and three pests are tracked. If you have an existing burning bush, it provides remarkable fall color and the decision to remove a healthy plant is yours. If you are choosing a new planting and want similar fall color without the invasive baggage, look at fothergilla, blueberry, or native vine maple, all provide fall color in the same intensity range without the ecological cost.