Euonymus alatus
Common Name: Winged euonymus, Burning bush
Family: Celastraceae

INVASIVE

West Simsbury, CT (all photos)

Plant is Native to: Northeastern Asia
Plant Height at maturity: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide
Plant Habit and Form: deciduous shrub, rounded, horizontal branching habit; flat topped. Slow growth rate, and medium texture.
Foliage: Simple, elliptic leaf. Alternate leaf arrangement (‘wing-like’). Dark green leaf color. 1 to 3 inch long leaf. Fine, sharp leaf serrations. Fall foliage showy, bright red.

Bark: Gray brown, long corky wings along stem.


Flower: Blooms late May. Small, light yellow. Not ornamentally significant.
Fruit/Seed: Half inch long, red capsule, found under leaf; in September. Not ornamentally significant.
Growing Requirements: Full sun to part shade. Tolerant of many growing conditions. Adaptable to pH levels. Transplants easily and is prune tolerant. No serious pest problems.
Problems and Drawbacks: Invasive in CT. Has been overused as a landscape plant. Susceptible to euonymous scale.
Special Uses: Landscape use as hedge, in masses. Showy fall foliage.
ID Tips/Remarks: Corky wing-like stems and branches. Rounded horizontal branching habit. Bright red fall color.
Bibliography: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/e/euoala/euoala1.html