Synonyms:

• Winged euonymus, Winged burning bush, Winged wahoo, Winged spindle-tree
• Celastrus alata

The Plant:

• A branching, deciduous shrub with an erect habit. Compact, 6-9 feet tall.

The Leaves:

• opposite
• elliptical
• pointed
• finely toothed
• autumn color bright scarlet red

The Stem:

• green to brown
• corky wings

The Flowers:

• Creamy white to green flowers with four petals. Flowers are .25 to .33 inches wide. They grow in clusters borne from the leaf axils.

The Fruits:

• cluster of 4 pods
• purplish seed coat
• splits to reveal orange aril (fruit)

The Habitat:

• escapes from planted landscapes
• light shade to full sun
• tolerates full shade
• abundance in calcareous soils
• old fields
• open woods and floodplain forests

Dispersal:

• birds spread the seed
• seeds also drop underneath the plant

Key ID Features:

• deciduous shrub
• opposite
• winged stems (some cultivars may lack wings)
• red fall color
• corky twigs
• orange fruit
• white to green flowers

Similar Species:

• Burning bush is the only local species with winged stems.

Notes:

• Flowers are relatively inconspicuous. Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus can take over open woodland habitats creating a monoculture as it pushes out native shrubs. Due to its matted, dense root system, and dense shade, few other plants can succeed beneath Burning bush.
• Some younger plants or cultivated varieties may lack the winged stems.
• On Nantucket, two individuals are known in the wild.

Growth Form: Shrub

Origin: Japan, China

Level of Invasiveness for Nantucket: Potential Invasive

Level of Invasiveness for Massachusetts: Invasive

Massachusetts Cultivation Restrictions: importation ban July 2006, propagation ban January 2009