Kingdom Plantae Family Celastraceae Scientific name Euonymus alatus Rank Species | Order Celastrales Genus Euonymus Higher classification Spindle tree | |
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Similar Spindle tree, Celastraceae, Euonymus fortunei, Euonymus hamiltonianus, Euonymus japonicus | ||
Burning bush or winged euonymus euonymus alatus compacta
Euonymus alatus, known variously as winged spindle, winged euonymus or burning bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to central and northern China, Japan, and Korea.
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This deciduous shrub grows to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) tall, often wider than tall. The stems are notable for their four corky ridges or "wings". The word alatus (or alata, used formerly) is Latin for "winged", in reference to the winged branches. These unique structures develop from a cork cambium deposited in longitudinal grooves in the twigs' first year, unlike similar wings in other plants. The leaves are 2–7 centimetres (0.79–2.76 in) long and 1–4 centimetres (0.39–1.57 in) broad, ovate-elliptic, with an acute apex. The flowers are greenish, borne over a long period in the spring. The fruit is a red aril enclosed by a four-lobed pink, yellow or orange capsule.
The common name "burning bush" comes from the bright red fall color.
It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks due to its bright pink or orange fruit and attractive fall color. The species and the cultivar 'Compactus' have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
This plant is an invasive species of woodlands in eastern North America, and its importation and sale is prohibited in the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
E. alatus, Gui Jian Yu, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to remove blood stasis, promote menstruation, remove toxic materials, subside swelling, and kill insects or parasites.