Substituting Burning Bush

I just had a guy over, looking to remove baby blue siding from my gables (why would they do that?). After admiring my landscaping, he asked me a very interesting question. It seems he's not quite fond of burning bushes, but would like something that gets that fabulous red that they are known to have in fall. He asked me for suggestions. I don't like burning bushes and the only thing they have going for them is the (fall) color, but I really never thought of an alternative. What do you plant instead of a burning bush? I told him I knew where to ask and would let him know what all I found out. Help me guys and gals!

Terry

Check out these sites !
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/nativegardening/alternatives.shtml
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/alert/alrteuon.html (alternatives are under the "Control" section.) There are a lot more sites available. I googled "native alternative to burning bush".

Just out of curiousity I recently counted the number of intentionally lanscaped-in Burning Bushes in my neighborhood. Out of 48 homes, 37 had Burning Bushes visible from the street !

Two alternatives listed, Lindera benzoin and Euonymous americana, are ones that I already planned to plant (thanks to great advice from DG'rs).

Say, I just realized how very apt "alternatives" is: "alter"-"NATIVES"

Let "that guy" know what good instincts he has. Print him a copy of one of these descriptions of just how nasty an invasive BB is. Maybe the next time he's checking someone's gables he'll have a conversation about BB.

Great sites! I was thinking Fothergilla and Rhus glabra (Smooth sumac) and Rhus typhina (Staghorn sumac) but forgot all about Oakleaf hydrangea and I've got two of them in the yard. Not only are the leaves beautiful in the fall, the bark looks like cinnamon sticks once the leaves are gone.

Too bad VV's on vacation, I'm sure he'd have some Viburnums with good fall color. Don't the native Viburnums give good fall color?

Let's not forget Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush blueberry). Besides feeding the birds, they turn deep shades of red, purple, orange and yellow in the fall.

Oh really good links/reads! Printed and the next time I see John (see? same name as my husband, same as VV, just easier to say "guy"), I can hand them to him. My plants are so small, I guess, that the fall colors don't come out? They have put on a lot of growth this year, so hopefully soon, they look like more than little green twigs. I have most on the list, but I'm really thinking I need an Oakleaf hydrangea and a Vaccinium corymbosum (which will feed me if I'm lucky!). He says nobody landscapes like I do and he really loves wildlife as does his wife. They're getting ready to move and he said he really wants to do something along the lines of what I do, just on a lot more land.

Now now notgrnjean, you sound like you don't believe he was here looking at my gables...lol....I'm going to post a picture to show what the PO covered up. Please explain why anyone would cover that beautiful stuff up!

Blueberry bushes are commonly recommended as an alternative for burning bushes. They get the same fall color and provide food for birds. Blueberries prefer acidic soil. They may do okay in non-acidic soil - but if you want them to thrive - one might need to do some soil amendmentsl.

I planted an oakleaf hydrangea earlier this year. Their fall color is supposed to be beautiful and I am anticipating that. However oakleaf hydrangea can get quite large... more like a specimen tree than a hedgerow type bush. I am sure it can be pruned to be smaller though.

deleted duplicate post - oops.

This message was edited Sep 22, 2006 8:24 AM

Can you hear me screaming over in Illinois? Same thing going on here only add a Calleryana Pear to the front yard and toss is some Barberry. No wonder why all this crap ends up over on my property.

Fothergilla and Oakleaf Hydrangea for me this year. Superior fall color. I've also been adding Viburnum nudum. I really like that plant.

Some issues with Rhus typhina. Even more issues with Rhus copallina in some areas. Both are natives, both can be opportunists.

Lowe's has LOTS of the Cleveland Pear variety for sale, and rows of Burning Bushes. It's Home Improvement time!

I picked up two Oak Leaf hydrangeas (not at Lowe's). Fireweed87 had commented on the branches looking like cinnamon sticks, and she is correct! I'm going to like them even when the leaves fall. I read conflicting information on sun and shade. Joepyeweed, what is the sun condition where you planted yours?

My oakleaf hydrangea is planted on a woodland edge. It gets mid-morning/early afternoon sun for a hour or two and then the rest of the day its either in dappled shade or full shade.

I did plant three anabelle hydrangea's that get early morning sun for a couple hours and then they are in shade the rest of the day. The annabelle's are starting to look kind of crappy right now and I will probably be pruning them off in the near future.

Edited because I'm a dummy and didn't realize not all Viburnums are native.

This message was edited Sep 26, 2006 10:19 PM

Hi! Stick a fork in me and say I'm done, cause I'm gonna repeat this here. I love love love Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire). It has great red fall color and also fragrant summer blooms.

Edited for better link:

http://www.greenbeam.com/features/plant040504.stm


This message was edited Oct 3, 2006 3:14 PM

And here is a pic of it's fall color!

You know I'd never offer an unsolicited opinion, but since Fireweed asked....

How come nobody has mentioned Aronia? Especially the black chokeberry, which seems to be the denser of the two common natives and lends itself well to hedging (and tolerates wet soils, something no burning bush ever will). It also offers plenty of fruit for birds (and people who pucker) and exceptionally glossy foliage on many plants. There are at least 4-5 named clones easily available in IL.

I like all the species previously mentioned, though not all offer red fall color that may be what the "guy" is after. If he's got lots of acreage, then he can plant all these species and more. And, with lots of space he can plant all the Rhus with abandon, since their colonizing (also known as opportunistic above) nature would come in handy. And they all have fabulous reds in their nature.

Some of the shrubby dogwoods would make good choices, too. Here are some North American natives that may not be from IL, but are good plants that won't damage the system:

Spiraea betulifolia (saw scads of these on my trip; 'Tor' is a commercially avaible clone)
Euonymus atropurpureus
Viburnum dentatum (fall colors can vary by provenance; go with known named ones if picky)
V. prunifolium
V. rufidulum
V. lentago
V. trilobum

There's a starter's kit.

Yes John, John has lots of acreage. That's not my John, that's the other John. Not you John, the other one. :o)

My Euonymus atropurpureus isn't showing too much red at the moment, but my Euonymus americana sure is.

I also thought I'd heard that chokeberry isn't eaten by wildlife, the reason it's called chokeberry? No?

As they say...you could look it up.

Upland game birds, songbirds, large and small mammals, and hoofed browsers use Aronia, which is ranked intermediate for its use by wildlife.

Of course, the rate at which the fruit are consumed relates inversely to length of time in is enjoyed aesthetically by humans.

And one could always make pie.

Edited for culinary info.


This message was edited Oct 5, 2006 7:05 AM

I have a chokeberry and the reason I didn't suggest it is that it's fall color is orange. It looks great next to the nepeta!

Look what up John? I think perhaps I have chokeberry confused with chokecherry. Unless of course, there is no such plant as a chokecherry, then I'm just plain confused. And I'm too lazy right now to look it up for myself.

Do you always talk in riddles John?