[ecoteat]

There is this shrub I'm thinking of that I'd like to track down. The leaves turn bright red in the fall and they are small and oval (I think--I haven't noticed one in a long time). My mom's birthday is coming up and she has always admired those, so I might try to find one for her. I know it grows well in Pennsylvania. Any ideas? I think I have a dim memory of someone calling it a burning bush.

 

[ecoteat]

Oh, darn it. I think it is Euonymus alatus and it is an invasive species. Pretty as it is, I can't buy my mom an invasive plant! Any ideas for something similar, though?

 

[serenetabbie]

Oh yes, they are pretty and they sure do grow well in PA! I think they are lovely too, but have settled for admiring them on other people's properties. I just don't need one more thing to keep under control

How about a small japenese maple? or Crape Myrtle?

 

[devster4fun]

Ah yes, the Burning Bush.

Personally, I like them. They get leaves early and go from sticks to full bushes overnight in the spring. Then, the fire engine red color in the fall is gorgeous.

But, oh my how they grow. Mine were these tiny, $15.00 bushes, maybe 1.5 ft tall when I got them. They are now 15-20 ft and create a natural fence, which is why I got them. They will get as tall as the house, if we don't keep cutting them back.

 

[MissMommyNiceNice]

Don't do it! There are great native alternatives!

Try one of these instead:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry...t/smtrees.aspx

I beleive the winterberry has similar behavior. You could also try the dogwood. There is a bush variety and it has great red sticks all winter long. Chokeberries are also nice. These & the winterberry provide food for birds in the winter.

Talk to a reputable nursery, they should have something for you!

 

[gottaknit]

Euonymous alata is invasive there? It's a really common landscaping shrub here in Oregon; not invasive at all. (But then, the same thing can be said of Norway maples.) It's interesting how some plants are harmless one place and invasive in others... Just musing to myself.

 

[courtenay_e]

Huh, I was thinking the same thing. Here in Michigan, we have burning bushes in every third or fourth yard...and they're pretty average in height...maybe five or six feet tall tops. I know that some nurseries around here actually sell a smaller version taht only gets to three or four feet tall.

 

[Owen'nZoe]

Wow - I never would have guessed! I have one of the miniatures in my yard, as do many of my neighbors, and I've never heard of a problem with them. What is up with the soil there in PA?!?