Winged Euonymus or Invasive Plant Information Sheet Burning Bush Euonymus alatus Staff-tree Family (Celastraceae) Description: Winged Euonymus is a deciduous shrub that averages 6 to 9 feet in height but is capable of reaching 15 feet. It has opposite, simple, elliptical toothed leaves which turn bright scarlet in autumn. Among its distinctive features are the prominently corky-winged green and brown twigs. The fruit is a cluster of pods, usually four, which are quite showy. These purple fruits split open when ripe revealing the bright red inner parts. Origin: Native to eastern Asia, surface. The combination of the winged Euonymus was brought to dense shade provided and the the United States during the mid- tight root system makes survival Illustration by E. Farnsworth nineteenth century and has been of other plants beneath Euonymus Cornus sericea (Red Twig widely planted as an ornamental. impossible. Dogwood) – also a fall food source A dwarf variety, compactus, is a popular hedge-forming plant. Management: Hand pulling Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Winged Euonymus is used sprouts and saplings can be Blueberry) – also a summer food primarily as foundation plantings, effective. Larger shrubs may source hedges, and highway plantings. It require heavy equipment for is widely disseminated by wildlife eradication of the plant. Use of Written by: species, which spread the seeds in herbicides on cut stumps and Peter Picone their droppings. young plants may also be CT Department of Environmental Protection, Wildlife Division effective. May 2000 Habitat: Winged Euonymus grows in a variety of soil Alternatives: References: conditions and spreads readily For persistent berries: Janet Marinelli and Beth Hanson, from cultivation into old fields, Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry) Editors, 1996. Invasive Plants: Weeds of open woods, and mature second - also bright fall color the Global Garden. Handbook Number growth forests. 149. (New York: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Inc.) 111 pp. Ilex verticillata (Winterberry) Why is it a problem? In open Fernald, M. L. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Viburnum trilobum (Highbush th woodlands, winged Euonymus Botany. 8 ed. (New York: American Cranberry) Book Co.) 1632 pp. replaces native shrubs. In areas where it forms dense monotypic For fall foliage/winter interest: Gleason, H. A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. stands, it reduces habitat Cornus amomum (Silky Dogwood) – Manual of Vascular Plants of diversity. The root system forms also a fall food source Northeastern United States and Adjacent nd a dense mat just below the soil Canada. 2 ed. (Bronx, NY: The New York Botanical Garden) 910 pp. This fact sheet was produced by the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group. For more information, visit our website at: www.cipwg.uconn.edu. Printing has been funded in part by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. .