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Family: Celastraceae (Bittersweet family)
Mid-Atlantic bloom time:
April - June
Mid-Atlantic fruit ripe:
September - October
Winged Euonymus can be readily identified by its corky-winged twigs and branches and opposite leaves. Its flowers are green and are borne over a long period in the spring. Its leaves turn a deep to bright red in autumn, giving it one of its common names 'burning bush'. The fruits also turn a bright red.
Winged Euonymus is native to east Asia. Despite being sold in nurseries as an ornamental shrub, it is highly invasive and shade-tolerant in forest understories. All parts of the plant are toxic to humans if ingested. The species epithet 'alatus' is Latin for 'winged', referring to its winged branches.
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18 October 2022
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (characteristic red leaves and fruits in autumn) 
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18 October 2022
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA 
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24 May 2026
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (stems developing corky growths) 
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24 May 2026
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA 
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18 October 2022
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA 
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24 May 2026
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (flowers just after blooming) 
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24 May 2026
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Manassas, VA (fertilized flowers) 
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