Gardening Questions: burning bush that doesn't turn red

Replies: 30 Views: 193

Author	Comment
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 25, 2009 11:50 PM	I have a tall burning bush that hasn't turned red since I planted it. It gets the berries and has a healthy green in summer but doesn't change color in the fall. Whats up with that? It is planted in a part of the yard where the rain puddles. Can too much water cause this? Just don't know
pastime Waterman, IL (Zone 5a) August 26, 2009 09:22 AM	Is it getting enough sun?
imzadi Jackson, SC (Zone 8a) August 26, 2009 11:09 AM	i would say sunlight is an issue. they need like full sun to turn red. the more sun the redder. if only little sun more pinkish but sun is needed.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 26, 2009 08:22 PM	Its in direct sun all day, I at times thought they put the wrong lable on this shrub at the store and sold it as a burning bush. Looked it up in my plant book and that is what is is. Could there be different versions of them?
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) August 27, 2009 01:14 AM	Maybe it's a different species of Euonymus. I don't think they all have that same wonderful fall color that E. alatus (burning bush) has. If you post a picture here or in the ID forum someone might recognize which one yours is.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 27, 2009 01:34 AM	man I've got to get a ditial camera lol
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 29, 2009 03:49 AM	well its gonna go soon if I don't figure it out.
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) August 30, 2009 02:34 AM	Flowers, did some reading and found about a half dozen questions about Euonymus alata not turning red. The one thing in common all the people had was that they bought the shrub in the spring time. It is next to impossible to tell the difference between the E alata and the other green euonymus unless it is in the fall. Chances are it was a mix up at the growers or the nursery. It was noted that they grow well in alkaline soil.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 30, 2009 02:48 PM	hate to sound stupid but alkaline meaning what? It needs what to pump this up? It is a nice shrub but really wanted the red burning bush, so pretty in the fall. leave it to me to get the oddball lol. Seems like I did purchase in the spring.
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) August 30, 2009 02:58 PM	Not your fault. here is a link to an explanation of soil Ph. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1030291/ Perhaps that will help. You can pick up a Ph test kit fairly cheaply at Home Depot or Lowe's or maybe even Wal-Mart's garden center.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 30, 2009 03:07 PM	What gets me is I have other shrubs around it of close to the same species and they are doing what they should. This one must be an albino no pigment!! I'll study the soil and make amendments for the future of this reject lol
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) August 30, 2009 03:15 PM	If you've got others around it that are turning red like they're supposed to, I expect the "misbehaving" one was probably labeled incorrectly and is actually a different Euonymus species.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 30, 2009 03:26 PM	well not the same bush but of the rhodendron,azalia type species. I gathered should be amended soil wise the same.I have a Euonymus on one side and a barberry on the other side.
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) August 30, 2009 04:24 PM	If your burning bush wants alkaline soil, that's actually the opposite of what rhodies and azaleas want, they like acid soil. But Plant Files lists Euonymus as doing fine in neutral or slightly acidic soil as well as alkaline soil, and since rhodies/azaleas will not do well in alkaline soil I'd probably err on the side of keeping things slighly acidic if you're going to keep all those things together in the same bed.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 30, 2009 04:44 PM	hummmm, I have all sorts of shrubs around the bin and up the hill from a row of nandinnas to holly,cypress,rose of sharon,Indian Hawthorn ect. They are all thiving nicely just stumped on this one for sure. Thanks for input. Thinking it would be easier to move the darn thing than try to figure soil ratio.Will read the ph link and see if I can figure out what to put on it to make it do what it is supposed to. Like you thinking different species than most burning bushes. Shame ya can't buy alkaline by the bag. lol
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) August 30, 2009 05:38 PM	Sorry, maybe my last post wasn't clear--if you've got your Euonymus near your rhodies and azaleas, I would NOT do anything to try and make the soil more alkaline. I don't know that it'll help your fall color issue even if you do have the correct species of Euonymus (and if you don't have the right species, it definitely won't do anything), and it will be detrimental to the rhodies & azaleas to have the pH raised. So I would leave things alone.
ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b) August 30, 2009 07:10 PM	I feel the need to add some technical support here. FIRST: if flowers_delight doesn't have a digital camera, have someone who does take the pictures for you and then post them here. A picture of the whole plant and some closeups will be good, but if the camera can't come to you - cut off some branches and take them to the camera. Offering solutions when the identity of the plant is not sure seems like a wild goose chase. I'd hate to hear about heroic soil pH changes or transplantation, only to learn that this plant was not as advertised. Euonymus alatus is tolerant of low pH soils as well as high pH soils. Take a look at some of invasive pest websites - this plant invades forests from CT (low pH) to IL and KY (higher to circumneutral pH). Euonymus alatus is a pest in parks woodlands in Louisville KY where I work. http://www.invasive.org/species/subject.cfm?sub=3023 http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/winged-bur... http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/winged... I've known this plant for a lot of years. It is one of the easiest plants to propagate, and transplantation survivability nears 100% because of a dense fibrous root system. It still needs time to recover loss of roots when transplanted B&B, and I imagine that's the derivation of gardeners' difficulties with new spring transplants. Euonymus alatus does not tolerate extended drought well. Louisville lost about 10,000 plants that were installed in a raised median along an interstate, which had no accommodation for irrigation when repeated summer droughts stressed them. These were mature plants that had grown in the site for many years, but even established plants will only take hot/dry for so long before giving up. They don't take extended wet feet well either. Of all the comments above, that's the only one I've read that might be causal. When you say it's in a wet spot, is that continuous standing water, or just a puddle after a rain that drains off quickly? Finally, you can get "alkaline in a bag" if you want. It's called agricultural lime, and it has been used for ages to raise soil pH (for plants that need those conditions), especially by lawn and pasture management services.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 31, 2009 12:40 AM	VV all I know is it looks like a duck and walks like a duck but doesn't act like a duck. Glad you mention the lime, I do that every year for grass. I had some pictures taken today so we should clear this whole thing up when I learn how to post them. The websites were informative and still tells me that I do indeed have a burning bush. The wet I was talking about is where it puddles but leaves pretty quick after a rain.E-crane sortav figured thats what you meant after describing all the other specimens I have located in close perimeter to this shrub. It's one for the history books for sure. Or should I say for Home and Gardens lol Hope I'm not agravating yall I just have to know. It's a gardeners thing.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) August 31, 2009 12:45 AM	I forgot to mention, no drought here when I planted and looks extremely healthy. Has fruits on it now but they are green and nothing is showing signs of turning color as so was the case last year.
ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b) August 31, 2009 12:57 AM	Looking forward to the pictures. Lots of times, that helps clear up a real conundrum and saves everybody from a lot of guessing.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 5, 2009 03:44 AM	Hey Gals and Gents, I am back but this time with pictures of the burning bush that doesn't turn red. What do you think now? View Larger
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 5, 2009 03:46 AM	Here is another bigger picture View Larger
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 5, 2009 03:49 AM	well for some reason the pictures are not showing up like they are on my computer files sorry.
ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b) September 5, 2009 04:23 PM	Your images are loaded at a really small resolution. I'm no whiz at doing so, but they need to be submitted at a larger image size so that they are viewable/decipherable. Usually needs a teenager to assist...
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 6, 2009 10:40 PM	they were sent via e-mail so that may be the problem, the pixel low. Daughter made a point. Maybe I need another burning bush to pollinate this one.
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) September 6, 2009 10:46 PM	Pollination has nothing to do with leaf color, only thing it affects is fruit/seed formation.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 7, 2009 03:14 PM	thanks e-crane, I really didn't want another one just can't figure out why it won't turn in fall. It has the fruit and is very healthy.
ecrane3 Dublin, CA (Zone 9a) September 7, 2009 03:31 PM	I still suspect there's a good chance your plant was mislabeled when you got it and is a different type that doesn't get the brilliant fall color. If you can get some better pictures of it maybe someone would be able to tell you what you have.
Jim41 Delhi, LA September 8, 2009 03:28 AM	Flowers, why don't you tell it some racy stories and see if it will blush for you. Never know till we try. Have a good day.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 8, 2009 04:23 AM	Funny Jim, I may just try that. Nothing more disapointing than getting a plant that doesn't perform as it should. Hope you are doing good.
Jim41 Delhi, LA September 8, 2009 04:31 AM	Had a great day with my son and his kids. Real laid back. Know what you mean about your plant. We have some old timey fall marigolds that a friend sent seed to from Ala. Last year the few we had bloomed so pretty. This year the foliage is beautiful but it is not even putting on any bloom buds. Maybe it is still to early for it. Hope so anyway. Jo is real disappointed. View Larger

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