Marianne's Response

A better partial shade option to replace a burning bush

I want so badly to plant some dwarf burning bushes in an area that only gets around 3-5 hours of sun a day. Will these bushes survive?

Posted by lucinda kemle on May 21, 2014

Marianne's Response

In my experience the burning bush, or Euonymus alatus compacta (there are some other plants called burning bush so I want to be sure we are talking about the same shrub), will survive in partial shade but they will not display the bright red fall foliage that you love. Perhaps an oak leaf hydrangea would be a better choice in the partially shaded site. The fall foliage on this hydrangeas is more of a wine red shade but you also get pointed panicles of creamy white blooms in the fall. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti