Invasive Species Profile: Winged Euonymus

When considering the age-old question of what time period would you go back to if you had a time machine, here at the preserve, we’ve had our answer locked and loaded for a very long time. We would visit 1931, when Carmen and Frank Warner first bought the property that would become Wahkeena and began gardening and altering the landscape, and we would implore (beg!) her not to plant winged euonymus (winged burning bush).

This species may just be the most invasive and most problematic one we’ve got. Years of pulling – and occasional herbicide application on the cut stems of plants too big to pull – have seen progress, but because it is such a prolific seed producer and because the parent plants of the current crop we’re working to control grew and reproduced for some 50 years, there is a massive seedbank of still viable seeds in the soil. Additionally, birds love the seeds and will happily consume and inadvertently spread them. Deer too, of which we have plenty on site and in Fairfield County, encourage the growth and spread of winged burning bush precisely because they DON’T eat it, and instead favor native seedlings, effectively removing winged burning bush’s competition.

Perhaps the single positive quality our euonymus has is that it’s easy to identify, particularly in fall when it turns pastel pink. You can look for the glaring pink plants in October/November, or you can examine the plant individually and find that very often, especially on older plants, it will have brown “wings” jutting out from its stem and branches from which it gets its name.

Additionally, it’s usually fairly easy to remove via hand pulling. In certain spots where the ground is especially hard, the stems may break away from the roots, and then a pickax may be required to fully extricate the root system – something you definitely want to do to properly kill the plant and avoid suckers emerging next year. In plants that are too big to pull or pry up with the pickax, cutting the stem and applying an herbicide is the best/only option.

Now that you’re familiar, happy picking! This plant is a popular ornamental nursey item, still sold commercially despite being designated as invasive by some states, and many, many homes and yards host one or more. We hope you’ll consider removing any on your property to make room for native species, and if you’ve got any energy leftover, come help us at one of our volunteer removal days!

– Naturalist Leah