Why Is Burning Bush Considered Invasive

Your garden center is right — burning bush (Euonymus alatus) and all its cultivars have been identified as a threat to natural areas because they seed in so prolifically and become dominant, forcing out other important plants. Learn more about Invasive Plant Species in New England.

Is burning bush considered invasive?

Burning bushes have escaped cultivation and now compete with native vegetation in forests, fields, and coastal habitats where it can form dense thickets. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has named this a Tier 2 invasive plant.

Where Is burning bush invasive?

In the United States, winged burning bush is found from New England to northern Florida and the Gulf Coast and also in Illinois. 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.