The burning bush. The red bush that everyone likes. It makes a great picture between green-leaved bushes in any landscape. And, this is one of the reasons why so many people are planting the burning bush. This plant is a known invasive, and in this article we will talk about how to remove burning bush from your yard.
Burning bush can spread really fast and can take over a yard or landscape really quickly. And, it can be dangerous to some animals. This is why you should make sure that you get all the information about the burning bush before you decide to plant one in your yard. Or, you might want to get rid of your bush, because it took over your yard. You will find all this information here.
How to Identify the burning bush
We all know the burning bush, as the red-leaved bush that you can find between the green-leaved bushed. But, the real name of the burning bush is Euonymus alatus. It has green leaves as well, during certain parts of the year. Something that not everyone knows.
The plant is actually native to countries like Northeastern Asia, Japan, and Central China. But, because of the beauty, this is a plant that can be found in many other countries as well. It was first introduced in 1860 in the United States. People think that this is a native plant to the United States, and it is actually not.
The burning bush has mostly dark green leaves that are laying simple, elliptical, and arranged oppositely along the stems. The leaves turn dark red during Autumn. The bush has green-like flowers that are turning into red-purple berries during late summer.
The bush normally grows between 5 to 10 feet high, but sometimes can even grow as large as 20 feet high.
Burning bush leaves
Where can you find it most of the time?
Aside from the native countries, already mentioned, you can now find the burning bush all over the US. In man-made landscapes. But, it will also be found in the area around the planned landscape. This is because of the spreading capacity of the plant.
And, this is why this is an invasive plant. It is growing fast and in different places. Many homeowners are also planting the burning bush in their gardens for the red leaves that the plant had during autumn. This means that you can find it anywhere, in and around the US.
Reports of burning bush in the US
Medicinal and food value of the burning bush
This is something that pet owners should know. The burning bush berry is poisonous to many animals including pets and some birds. And, this is one reason why the burning bush should be removed as soon as possible. Because it isn’t a native plant in the US, there are many birds that are eating the berries, and dying because of it.
No, there isn’t any medical use for the burning bush. Not at the moment. And, because the berries on the tree are poisonous to pets and humans, we don’t think that there will be any medicine use for it. It isn’t clear if the Asian countries are using the tree for any medical reasons, but in the US, there aren’t any medical reasons for keeping the tree in your garden.
Why is burnig bush invasive?
There are two reasons why the plant is an invasive plant. The first reason is that this isn’t a native plant in the US. And, because people like the redness of the plant, they are planting this one instead of native alternatives. And the plant is growing faster than other native plants, taking over space and letting native plants die easier.
The other reason why this is an invasive plant is because of the fast rate that it is growing and that it can grow at different places, without the need to be planted by humans. Because of the seeds, in the form of the berries, is carried by birds, and grows easily where the seeds fall. And this can let the burning bush take over any yard, landscape or area without anyone planting the bush manually.
How is the plant spread from one place to another?
There are many different ways that the plant can spread from one place to another. The main way is birds that are eating the berries, or just picking the berries for eating. Then realizing that the berries are poison, they let the berries fall. This is where the burning bush will grow again.
With the flowers, the bees will spread the seeds as well. Making it easier for the trees to grow in other places. Places where there were never burning bushes before. The last way that the bush can be spread is by the wind. The wind can let the berries fall from the tree, and land on different spots on the ground. Leading to new bushes to grow.
Why you should remove burning bush
Yes, we all know that the burning bush is really a beautiful bush to have in your yard. Especially, if you are looking for some color between your green trees and other plants. However, it is essential that you should remove the plant as soon as you find it in your yard. Or, rethink it when you are considering planting one for the first time in your yard.
There are many alternatives that are safer and native to the US that you can plant instead of the burning bush if you are looking for some color. If you don’t remove the plant, you will later struggle with a yard that is redder than any other color. It will take over for sure.
How to remove burning bush?
When you are considering removing the burning bush in your yard, you need to make sure that you are doing it correctly. If you aren’t doing it correctly, it will just come back and starts growing again. This is because this is a bush that is hard to kill. The roots are going really deep, and the bush only needs to have one part of the root to start growing again. Or, one berry that is left behind can be grown into a bush again.
It’s why you need to make sure that you are going to remove the burning bush correctly if you want to make sure that it is out of your life completely. Or else you will just be repeating the process in no time again. The good news is that there are a couple of different ways that you can remove the burning bush successfully.
Mechanical removal
This is a question that is getting asked a lot. Is it possible to remove the burning bush manually? Or, will it just grow back, the moment that it gets a chance to grow again?
You can remove the bush manually, but then you need to make sure that you are doing it correctly. If you don’t remove the bush correctly, it will just grow back at the same place. The roots need to be removed completely in order for the bush to be gone forever. And you need to make sure that there are no berries left on the ground, so that it can’t start growing again. If you want to remove it manually, it is recommended that you are hiring a professional to do the removal for you.
Physical invasive plant removal is labor-intensive
Chemical removal
The best way to remove the burning bush is to make use of chemicals or herbicide. This is the only way to make sure that you are killing the whole bush without leaving anything behind that can grow into a bush again. With this guide, you will be able to remove the burning bush with the right chemicals. These are the two options that are the most successful to use. There are other options available as well, but it’s more toxic and can be dangerous to use if you don’t have the right experience.
- Glyphosate. Glyphosate is one of the most popular chemicals to use to get rid of any annuals, perennials, broadleaf and woody weeds and plants. It can also be used to kill the burning bush completely.
- Triclopyr. This chemical isn’t toxic to animals and birds and can be used on woody plants and weeds. And, it will work well on the burning bush.
Essential information about removing the burning bush completely
Even, if you know how to remove the burning bush using the right chemicals or how to remove it manually, there are a couple of things that you need to know before you start removing the bush.
If you want to remove the burning bush manually, you want to make sure that you don’t leave any trace of the bush behind. Making sure that every single root is taken out of the ground, and that the berries are removed from the ground as well. Expert tree and bush removal services have a great idea about how to remove these bushes without leaving any trace behind.
When you are using chemicals for removing the burning bush, you need to make sure that you are only spraying the chemical on the burning bush, and that the chemicals don’t drip on any of the other plants. This is why you should spray the chemicals on, and do it on a day when there isn’t any wind. It is also recommended that you are only using one of the two chemicals mentioned earlier, for the best results.
Conclusion
The burning bush might be something beautiful during autumn, but this is an invasive plant and should be removed as soon as possible. There are great alternatives if you are looking for some color between your green bushes. The burning bush isn’t native to the US.
You can remove it manually but need to make sure that you are removing the entire bush. This also means that you should remove the berries around the bush, and the new bushes that might have started to grow. You can do the removal yourself, but for better results, it is recommended that you are hiring a professional service for removing the plant successfully.
The second option is to use chemicals to kill the plant. This is the best way to kill the burning bush because you are killing its root and all. Making sure that the bush will not grow back. There are two basic chemicals that you can use for this task, Glyphosate or the Triclopyr. These two chemicals will get rid of the burning bush in no time.
References
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