winged euonymus (Invasive Plants of Maryland)

winged euonymus

Euonymus alatus

Description and biology ¹³

Plant: multiple stemmed, angular branching shrub with conspicuously winged stems, normally 5-10 ft. high but mature plants can grow to 20 ft.
Leaves: deciduous, dark green, in pairs along stem, turn brilliant red-purple in autumn.
Flowers, fruits and seeds: inconspicuous, greenish flowers occur in late spring and red-purple fruits mature during summer.
Spreads: expands locally through vegetative reproduction and to new areas through bird dispersal of seeds.
Look-alikes: may be confused with other species of euonymus including our native strawberry bush (Euonymus americana), also called ‘hearts-a-bustin,’ which has green non-winged stems. Saplings of native sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) with winged stems may be mistaken for winged burning bush.

Ecological threat in the united states ¹⁴

It threatens a variety of habitats including forests, coastal scrublands and prairies where it forms dense thickets, displacing many native woody and herbaceous plant species. Hundreds of seedlings are often found below the parent plant in what is termed a “seed shadow.”

Prevention and control ¹⁵

Do not plant winged burning bush. Manual, mechanical and chemical means are available to control established plantings. Seedlings can be pulled by hand. Shrubs can be repeatedly cut to the ground to control re-sprouts, or cut and treated with systemic herbicides like glyphosate and triclopyr.

History in the united states ¹⁶

Winged burning bush, also known as winged wahoo and winged euonymus, was introduced to the U.S. around 1860 as an ornamental plant for use in landscaping. Despite its invasive nature, it remains very popular and is widely sold for its hardiness, winged stems and intense red foliage in the fall. It is ubiquitous and can be found planted along roadways, at commercial and industrial sites and in park and residential landscapes.

Sources and Credits

(c) 2009 Barry Rice, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=283452&one=T
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/7249131706/
(c) licensed media from TrekNature DwCA without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.treknature.com/viewphotos.php?l=3&p=192418
(c) Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Euonymus_alatus_-_R2709.JPG
(c) Howard, R.A., some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=botany&irn=10354558
(c) 2009 Barry Rice, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=283451&one=T
(c) avislaw, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Samuel Oyeniya, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Samuel Oyeniya
(c) anupamagupta178, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by anupamagupta178
(c) trevor_vietti, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Sara Rall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sara Rall
(c) ryanhunt001, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733924
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733923
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733925
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733921

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winged euonymus

Description and biology 13

Ecological threat in the united states 14

Prevention and control 15

History in the united states 16