Often called "Burning Bush", Euonymus alatus - or Winged Euonymus - is an invasive species that has started to get attention here in the Northland.
Monika Chandler from the Noxious and Invasive Weed Program with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has been keeping an eye on the invasive as it continues to journey further north. "There have been populations of Winged Euonymus... in areas further to the south and further to the east of us," says Chandler. "But we are starting to see escapes as far north as Grand Marais now."
The best time to identify the plant is in the fall when its leaves change to a bright red. However, Euonymus alatus can be identified any time of the year by looking for winged shapes that run along branches and twigs. These same features show up on seedlings as well.
Up until 2023, it was legal to sell and plant Burning Bush. Now that the visually appealing plant has become illegal, science is trying to find a way to limit the negative impact of the plant while not completely eliminating it from our landscapes. "Because it's been so valued, plant breeders have been working on this plant to create no-seeding or very-low-seeding cultivars," says Chandler. "In the near future, hopefully, there will be some options where people can have Burning Bush... that are not going to be problematic."
For the time being though, the best option for dealing with Winged Euonymus is to completely remove the plant. "The best thing that somebody can do, if they have Burning Bush in their yard... is to remove the plant," says Chandler. "It's hard to do, but these plants do produce a lot of seeds."
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