Euonymus alatus

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Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)

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Euonymus alatus

Category Tree, Shrub, Groundcover
Kingdom Plantae
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Angiospermae
Order Celastrales
Family Celastraceae
Genus Euonymus
Varieties in this species
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Please enter the plant name in this format: 'Latin name - Common Name'

Aden Earth Zone

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Cultivation

Characteristics

About

Euonymus alatus, known variously as Winged Spindle, Winged Euonymus or Burning Bush, is a deciduous shrub native to eastern Asia, in central and northern China, Japan, and Korea. The shrub grows to 2.5 m tall (8.2 feet), often wider than tall. The stems are notable for their four corky ridges or "wings." The word alatus (or alata, used formerly) is Latin for winged, in reference to the winged branches. These unique structures develop from a cork cambium deposited in longitudinal grooves in the twigs' first year, unlike similar wings in other plants.<ref>Bowen, R. A. 1963. Botanical Gazette 124 (4): 256-261. </ref> The leaves are 2-7 cm long and 1-4 cm broad, ovate-elliptic, with an acute apex. The flowers are greenish, borne over a long period in the spring. The fruit is a red aril enclosed by a four-lobed pink, yellow or orange capsule.

The common name "burning bush" comes from the bright red fall color.

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks due to its bright pink or orange fruit and attractive fall color. This plant is an invasive species of woodlands in eastern North America,<ref>Swearingen, J., K. Reshetiloff, B. Slattery, and S. Zwicker. (2002). "Winged Burning Bush". Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic/eual.htm. </ref> and its importation and sale is prohibited in the states of Massachusetts<ref>Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List. Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Retrieved on 2009-03-28.</ref> and New Hampshire.<ref>[1]. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. Retrieved on 2009-08-06.</ref>

File:Winged euonymus.jpg
Winged Euonymus overgrowing a fence
File:Burning Bush in Autumn foliage.JPG
Euonymous alatus compactus (Dwarf Burning Bush) in autumn foliage. NC, 10-30-2008.

References

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