Botanical description: This description provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (for example, [19,34,42,49]).
Winged burning bush is a rounded shrub that grows to 8.2 feet (2.5 m) tall [5,19]. The branches typically have prominent, corky wings [5,19,34,42,49], although stem wings are reduced to ridges or absent on some plants [4,16,33,38]. Winged burning bush is deciduous [5,19,49], with opposite leaves [34]. The inflorescence is a long-peduncled cyme with perfect flowers [34]. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule [19] containing up to to 4 seeds [33] that are enclosed in an aril [19] (see above right photo). A fact sheet describes winged burning bush's root system as deep and fibrous [38].
Stand structure: Based on limited studies, winged burning bush may form shrublands or dense forest understories; it is uncertain whether this pattern is typical on winged burning bush-invaded sites. Winged burning bush has formed dense thickets in Pennsylvania [33]. In New York, winged burning bush was most common in the tall shrub layer of a yellow-poplar-red oak-American beech (Liriodendron tulipifera-Quercus rubra-Fagus grandifolia) forest [22]:
Cover (%) of winged burning bush in a mixed-hardwood forest in Long Island, New York [22] Tall shrub layer (2-3.5 m) Medium shrub layer (1-2 m) Herb layer (0-1 m) All layers 1.86 0.60 0.53 0.53North America: Winged burning bush is nonnative in North America, where it occurs from Ontario south to Missouri, Kentucky, and South Carolina and east to New Hampshire [27]. Booth and Wright [5] noted its presence in west-central Montana in 1962, but it was not listed in a 1991 flora of the same area [28]. Plants Database provides a distributional map of winged burning bush and varieties in North America.
Other continents: Winged burning bush's native distribution extends from central China to northeastern Asia [5,19,33,42,49]. Besides central and eastern China, winged burning bush occurs in Korea, the Sakhalin islands of eastern Russia, and Japan [15]. It was introduced in Europe and North America as an ornamental [10,15].
Invasion history in the United States: Winged burning bush was first introduced in the United States in the 1860s [10]. It has escaped cultivation or become invasive mostly in the northeastern United States.
Northeast: Winged burning bush was well established in some parts of the Northeast by the late 20th century. It had established near Palestine in Wirt County, West Virginia, by 1977 [42]. In a 1985 Michigan flora, winged burning bush was noted as rarely escaping cultivation but spreading "occasionally" into woodlands, thickets, and uncultivated urban and rural areas [49]. In 1991, Gleason and Cronquist [19] described it as widely cultivated but only "locally escaped from cultivation" in the Northeast. By the turn of the 21st century, winged burning bush was locally invasive in many northeastern states. A 2002 fact sheet describes winged burning bush as most invasive in Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Illinois [33]. A 2006 review describes 21 states as "invaded" [9].
Midwest: As of 2009, winged burning bush was noted as invasive in the Midwest only in Illinois, where it was first reported as "naturalized" in Coles County in 1973 [11]. By 1984, winged burning bush was reported from 13 Illinois counties [12]. In 1989, winged burning bush was the dominant woody species invading the Waterworks Ravine Hill Prairie, where woody species were historically rare. Most other invading woody species were native. Mean density (and frequency) of winged burning bush was 7,809 stem/ha (66%) [2].
Fuels: According to a fact sheet, winged burning bush can successionally replace native shrubs and form a dense forest understory on some sites in the Northeast [38], so winged burning bush may increase fuel loads in plant communities it has invaded. However, data are lacking on how winged burning bush may alter horizontal and/or vertical fuel continuity and fuel loads from historical conditions.
FIRE REGIMES: Winged burning bush grows in plant communities that historically experienced both long and short fire-return intervals. The northeastern beech-maple communities that winged burning bush has invaded [33,51] historically experienced stand-replacement fires at long fire-return intervals, with an estimated range of 230 to 4,970 years in New Hampshire [14]. Oak-hickory communities historically had mostly short fire-return intervals. Some winged burning bush-invaded oak-hickory communities in Pennsylvania historically experienced low-severity surface fires at 4- to 7-year intervals. Short fire-return intervals kept stand structure open, usually maintaining the communities as woodlands [29]. Several authors have noted cooccurrence of sugar maple and winged burning bush in oak-hickory forests [2,11]. On many sites, presence of sugar maple in oak-hickory communities may indicate that these winged burning bush-invaded forests now have longer fire-return intervals than were typical in the past ([39], review by Pallardy and others [35]). Research on how winged burning bush affects FIRE REGIMES of plant communities it has invaded was lacking as of 2009. See the Fire Regime Table for further information on FIRE REGIMES of vegetation communities in which winged burning bush may occur. Find further fire regime information for the plant communities in which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES".
Winged burning bush appears adaptable to a variety of site conditions. As of 2009, few details were available regarding site conditions preferred by this species. Winged burning bush tolerates a variety of soil textures [33,36] and pH levels [33], and grows in dry to moist soils [10]. A fact sheet described winged burning bush as drought tolerant but intolerant of wet soils [13]. In oak-hickory-sugar maple forests in Illinois, winged burning bush dominated forest understories most often within small ravines. It also dominated shady valley floors and shady microsites on north-facing hillslopes [11]. Research is needed on site conditions that may increase vulnerability of native plant communities to winged burning bush invasion.
In its native China, winged burning bush occurs in forests, woodlands, and scrublands from sea level to 8,900 feet (2,700 m) elevation [15]. Elevational ranges for winged burning bush in North America were not available of as 2009.
Winged burning bush may tolerate elevated levels of soil methane. In New York, it was planted on landfill sites, where methane concentration was 0.9%; and on control sites, where methane was not detected in the soil. Winged burning bush persisted in landfill soils, although its growth was significantly greater in control soils (P<0.05) [18].
As of 2009, no published information was available on requirements for winged burning bush establishment and growth. The photo on the right illustrates winged burning bush establishing in oak litter; the photo in Seasonal Development shows burning bush seedlings establishing beneath parent plants. Seedlings are shade tolerant (see Successional Status), but it is uncertain whether growth rates differ between open than with closed canopies. Fact sheets variously describe winged burning bush as a fast- [38] or slow-growing [13] species.
The scientific name of winged burning bush is Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. (Celastraceae)
[4,15,16,19,27,42]. Worldwide, 5 poorly differentiated varieties are recognized by
various systematists based on leaf color and relative hairiness (review by [4]). These varieties occur in North America [46,51]:
Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. var. alatus
Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. var. apterus Regel
Euonymus alatus, known variously as winged spindle, winged euonymus, or burning bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to central and northern China, Japan, and Korea.
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. The cultivar 'Compactus'[1] has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]
This deciduous shrub grows to 6.1 m (20 ft) tall, often wider than tall. As with the related Euonymus phellomanus, 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 structures develop from a cork cambium deposited in longitudinal grooves in the twigs' first year, unlike similar wings in other plants.[3] The leaves are 2–7 cm (3⁄4–2+3⁄4 in) long and 1–4 cm (1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in) 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
All parts of the plant are toxic by ingestion, causing severe discomfort.[4]
Euonymus alatus is native to northeastern Asia and China. In the United States, it was first introduced in the 1860s.[5]
Common names: burning bush, wing burning bush, winged euonymus, and winged spindle-tree.[5]
Its native distribution extends from northeastern Asia to central China.[6] Besides central and eastern China, Euonymus alatus also appears in Korea, Japan, and the island of Sakhalin in Russia.[7] In its native areas, it occurs in forests, woodlands, and scrublands from sea level to 8,900 ft (2,700 m) elevation.[7]
Euonymus alatus is not native to North America. In the United States, it is found in New England, as well as Illinois, extending south to northern Florida and the Gulf Coast.[8] It is currently considered an invasive species in 21 states.
Generally cultivated for its ornamental qualities, attraction to wildlife, and ability to adapt to urban and suburban environments.[5] The shrub is commonly used in foundation planting, hedges, and along highways and commercial strips.[9] Sales nationally are in the tens of millions of dollars every year.[9]
The corky winged stems are utilized in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. It is used to treat conditions such as cancer, hyperglycemia, and diabetic complications.[10] Chemicals that have been isolated from this plant include flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, lignans, cardenolides, phenolic acids, and alkaloids.[10]
This plant is regarded as an invasive species of woodlands in eastern North America,[11] and its importation and sale is prohibited in the states of Massachusetts,[12] New Hampshire,[13] Maine,[14] Pennsylvania, and Vermont.[15]
Euonymus alatus, known variously as winged spindle, winged euonymus, or burning bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to central and northern China, Japan, and Korea.
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. The cultivar 'Compactus' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
