Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus)’ has to be one of the most common landscape plants in America – and on my list of plants I seldom utilize in designs. Why? It’s so popular it must be great. Right? Here’s my perspective: I admit the overall branching structure can be interesting in winter when ice and snow accumulate on its corky horizontal limbs, but only if it is pruned well. Otherwise, it’s a wintery disaster of lopped off branches. The fall color is spectacular – a pinkish red turning fire engine – but don’t blink – the leaves always seem to be the most incredible red on Monday and by Tuesday they’re on the ground. Does it flower? Yes – but they are tiny and hard to see and the fruiting red capsules are easily missed. As a designer, I cringe at the site of plants hiding the entrance to a building as in the photo. These plants are too big, uninteresting 50 plus weeks of the year and would be better utilized on a campus or park setting where they can be minimally pruned and maximize their potential as a screening plant. If you scroll back in the blog two weeks you will see a beautiful shrub (‘Shasta’ Viburnum) with red leaves that persist much longer.
