Comments on: Is Burning Bush Invasive?

By: Reader Last

Reader Last — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:42:54 +0000

In reply to Erica. I have one in my suburban yard for 25 years(+) and it has not spread at all. Not sure why that is? But it is beautiful in the Fall.

By: MB Whitcomb

MB Whitcomb — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 22:13:17 +0000

Please please please…gardening involves great power to change landscapes of the future. The people planting Rosa multiflora along the roads and for “wildlife food” had no idea how invasive they were, and now the costs are huge to try to control it. If it is not invasive in your yard now, you are simply lucky. Just because you don’t have a problem with it does not mean the problem does not exist. I cannot understand how any responsible citizen would not jump to prevent a forestry issue in their area. You may be in an area where a lot of plants have not yet been introduced, meaning they are not reproducing yet. Your plant may not be in soil, moisture, or light conditions that encourage viable seeds. There are lots of reasons for this circumstance. Here is a very well written piece on the subject I hope people will have open-mindedness to read.
https://haltonmastergardeners.com/2020/05/21/its-not-invasive-in-my-garden-whats-the-harm/

By: Al Vivas

Al Vivas — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 15:35:26 +0000

nice article……Think We will plant one or two….And keep an eye on them ……Hope We do not have get the tug and chain out…

By: Roberta brooks

Roberta brooks — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 18:45:22 +0000

In reply to Erica. Have had my one bush for at least 20 yrs and HAVE NEVER seen 1 seedling from it. GLoucester

By: Cherie Hoyt

Cherie Hoyt — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 05:52:12 +0000

We have a couple of Burning Bushes in our yard, which were here when we purchased our house 30 years ago. They have grown quite a bit and and they are spectacular in the fall, and give us some privacy nowadays because they are between the house and the road. A few years ago I read that they are considered an “invasive” species, and for awhile that worried me. But I have continued to love them—more and more as each year goes by. Perhaps they reproduce easily, but they also provide food for birds and perhaps other animals, and they provide so much beauty! I see seedlings popping up in the yard now and then, which get chopped right down as I mow the lawn. Occasionally I see small ones in the woods, but because they don’t get much light because under the various trees, especially the tall pines, they never get very large. In recent years I have begun to think of the “native plants only” movement as misguided, because it seems too much like the somewhat similar anti-immigrant comments I read about in the paper, and see on TV, From the founding of our country there have been immigrant people AND immigrant plants. We should welcome them all —except for the actually-noxious ones— enjoy them, and find a way to live peaceably with them.

By: TheFrenchlady

TheFrenchlady — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 23:21:55 +0000

We planted 2 burning bush 30 yrs ago and they grew nicely but never spread in my backyard or in the state forest behind the house. We walked there every day and we are on the lookout but we can’t see any seedlings. Maybe we got the sterile plants.

By: E.

E. — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 14:16:47 +0000

We had one beautiful sterile dwarf burning bush in the corner of our yard. The power company cut it down. Very sad.

By: edithb

edithb — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:22:41 +0000

In reply to Toni Nicholas. i agree i have owned three burning bushes 30 yrs and they are the only three on my 15 acres , to many people li ke to try to control what one can own and have

By: Erica

Erica — Thu, 27 May 2021 01:34:40 +0000

Burning Bush is very invasive! Do not plant it! I pulled up and cut down tons of Burning Bushes in the woods behind my house. I replaced them with native Nannyberry Viburnum and native Witch Hazel. I also dug up a Burning Bush in our landscaping. I did not know it was invasive when we bought it. I planted a native Service Berry in its place. Shame on garden centers for knowingly selling invasive to unsuspecting customers! I encourage everyone to talk to your garden centers and ask them to sell natives and quit selling invasives. There are many native alternatives to burning bush. All of the above native plants I mentioned, have nice fall colors. All of them also are host plants for birds, caterpillars and butterflies. Nannyberry Viburnum and Seviceberry provide 3 or 4 seasons of interest and Serviceberry produces a delicious edible fruit. Native Witch Hazel has yellow flowers and leaves in the fall. Contrast this with Burning Bush which is a host plant to zero caterpillars/ butterflies and provides only one season of interest. As others have stated, just because there are no seedlings under the tree does not mean the birds are not carrying it elsewhere and spreading it. Planting native plants instead of invasives is a little thing everyone can do to help our planet and attract birds and butterflies.

By: Toni Nicholas

Toni Nicholas — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 16:57:01 +0000

This is not true. IMHO, they have probably targeted this bush because of its popularity and to begin control of what plants and seeds we plant. We’ve had burning bushes in our back yard – growing right next to a Forsythia bush and a Rose of Sharon with zero problems. There is nothing “invasive” about it – other than you can root it easily…. (hint, hint) The more sun they get, the more vibrant they are in the fall. They are beautiful bushes and are, or were, very popular throughout New England. So, yes, this “designation” is total B.S.

By: Reader Last

Reader Last — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 16:58:43 +0000

A friend of mine is a landscape architect and plant geek. Shortly after buying my NH home, he walked through our woods with me, pointing out all the barberry and burning bush seedlings that were choking out natives. Invasive aren’t about curated landscapes as much as wild areas. Trust the experts.

By: Reader Last

Reader Last — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:30:10 +0000

In reply to patriciaw3. In just over five years, burning bush has taken over a large area of woods alongside our road, just down hill from a house that has it planted. It is smothering the understory and will eventually kill the forest.