by KYW's Phran Novelli
See all those shrubs that are bright red right now and seem to be planted in every parking lot you pass? Known as 'burning bush', Euonymus alatus makes a thick hedge and turns scarlet in the fall – so why shouldn’t you plant it? Besides the fact that it’s so overused, burning bush is an alien plant that’s invading our woodlands and taking over, replacing native plants that our birds, butterflies and other critters need to survive.
The good news is you have better things to plant in place of burning bush. If you want a great hedge that’s easy to grow around here and turns bright red in the fall consider our native blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum. With highbush blueberries, you get pretty flowers in spring, fresh fruit to eat in summer, and the red fall foliage. Plus you’ll be welcoming loads of birds, bees, and butterflies to enjoy your yard too.
(PHOTO NOTE: Pictured is the shrub you DON’T want to plant, Euonymus alatus often called burning bush.)
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