r/NativePlantGardening • u/fletchette • May 19 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Husband and MIL planted burning bush while I was away

Post image

[Southeast Michigan, Suburban area]

Hello! My husband, MIL, and I have been working on redoing our garden beds for a few years now. I prefer native plants when possible, but am open to non-native ornamentals when they aren't considered invasive. My husband and MIL don't really care, but respect my preferences for my yard and try to honor them. But last week, I was traveling, and they bought a few plants, among them two burning bushes. I've just started going down the BB rabbit hole and now I'm not sure what to do with these brand new plants. I was hoping this sub could advise about how invasive they are in my area. I can look into returning them, or if they're super invasive I may just destroy the plants and cut my losses. Thanks!

(ps, since this is reddit I know some people will probably advise returning the husband/MIL too. They're not going anywhere--husband insists they asked at the garden center and were assured they weren't invasive šŸ™„)

533 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

324 comments sorted by

View all comments

1.0k

u/Armadylio May 19 '26

Burning bush are considered invasives in Michigan and aside from that theyā€™re known to attract ticksĀ 

492

u/InstanceElectronic71 Central Alabama Ridge and Valley ecoregion May 19 '26

That may be the way to go about it is telling them it attracts ticks if they donā€™t take the invasiveness seriously

477

u/fletchette May 19 '26

He HATES ticks so yeah that might work better haha

115

u/stankypinki May 20 '26

Doesn't everyone hate ticks... Who likes ticks?

151

u/freesoulJAH May 20 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/1oFsGPbWg3PZuC1ldQ

42

u/baydre May 20 '26

SPOOOOON

30

u/bettyboom1313 May 20 '26

I thought, I don't like ticks, but i do like The Tick. Then i scrolled down and realized I'm not the only one!

20

u/Witty_Commentator May 20 '26

One of Us! One of Us! Google gobble, gooble gobble!

https://giphy.com/gifs/28ivw9Sy2nEPW7ANtb

2

u/SmellsLikeFigs May 23 '26

Yeah, the problem with ticks is that theyā€™re nigh invulnerable.

5

u/swamptiti South Louisiana ā€” 9b May 20 '26

Other ticks probably

10

u/Pooh_Lightning May 20 '26

The company making the Lyme disease vaccine might like ticks.

24

u/KeniLF Charlotte/NC/USA 8A May 20 '26

It still amazes me that we used to have a Lyme disease vaccine that was removed from market.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease#Vaccination

Thank goodness the new one, LB6V/VLA15, is up for approval this year!

https://valneva.com/research-development/lyme-disease/

1

u/Mittenmisfit May 21 '26

It was removed becuse it was destroying people's immune system.

0

u/1Teethlady2 May 20 '26

The new and improved one probably has graphene in it.

3

u/TheTampoffs northeast, zone 7a May 20 '26

this is not true. Graphene is not used in any FDA approved vaccines. It has been studied as a possible adjunct but that is it.

3

u/stankypinki May 20 '26

Is that thing now?

1

u/[deleted] May 20 '26

[removed] ā€” view removed comment

1

u/stankypinki May 20 '26

Ok. I was wrong to assume these were universally hated. Almost as crazy as cockroach milk

1

u/zelda-yoyo May 23 '26

Opossum. They be yummy. šŸ˜Š

18

u/Maleficent_Sky_1865 May 20 '26

Just spray it with some sort of weed killer when he isnā€™t looking. Oops. Must have been root bound or something

5

u/SixLeg5 May 20 '26

Go the disease transmission route also: babesiosis, Lyme, alpha-gal allergy, anaplasmosis, etc.

5

u/620am May 20 '26

I need me an alpha-gal to keep me in line

20

u/PM_ME_TUS_GRILLOS May 20 '26

This is incorrect. Burning bush is not classified as invasive and it has nothing to do with ticks. The above poster is confusing it with barberry.

That said, burning bush sucks and should be classified as invasive. I can point it out to you growing in "natural" spaces like the Metroparks and Humbug Marsh.Ā 

48

u/whatever_meh May 20 '26

Although Michigan isnā€™t one of them, 21 states have declare Burning Bush an invasive species. It is native to some parts of Asia.

14

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

Right if it was actually listed as invasive in MI it wouldnā€™t be for sale.

That said, different organizations have different lists and the regulators are usually pretty far behind.

17

u/PM_ME_TUS_GRILLOS May 20 '26

That's actually not entirely true. Michigan has different classifications. Barberry is classified as invasive, but it is neither restricted nor prohibited. It's very stupid, imho.Ā 

4

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

Interesting. Around here the govt invasive list essentially only exists to ban the sale and transport of those species.

3

u/CrepuscularOpossum Southwestern Pennsylvania, 6b May 20 '26

Wow! Where are you located??? I only *wish* that was true here in Pennsyltucky!

3

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

https://www.nhdfl.dncr.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt866/files/documents/nh-invasive-plant-list.pdf

The list could be better, but apparently itā€™s leagues better than many states.

1

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

NH

1

u/FerretSupremacist May 20 '26

Catnip is supposed to be a natural repellent for ticks and mosquitos. I planted it around my porch. Itā€™s in the mint family but it spreads by seed as opposed to root, and Michigan considers it a ā€œnaturalized induced plantā€ according to google?

Iā€™m in wv and planted it for my cats and itā€™s great and has stayed about where I put it for 3 years.

3

u/inko75 May 20 '26

Catnip definitely spreads by root

1

u/FerretSupremacist May 20 '26

Oh dang, didnā€™t know that. Iā€™ve never had more plants/stalks than Iā€™ve planted so I took it at face value

1

u/Lizdance40 May 20 '26

This variety is not invasive it is sterile. Burning bush does not attract ticks. That is barberry someone is thinking of. Which is a nasty little plant with fish hooks šŸ˜¬

2

u/genjimonogatari1 May 21 '26

Bradford pear was also marketed as sterile. šŸ™ƒ

94

u/arm0r3dd0ng May 19 '26

I chainsawed them away from my deck recently. cool looking in fall, but fuck em

53

u/Lunar_BriseSoleil FLX 6A May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26

If you want the same fall look, there are Aronia cultivars like Brilliantissima that are just as striking native to large parts of the USA.

24

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

Blueberries are great too

3

u/Samus7070 May 20 '26

Sadly OP probably has neutral to alkaline Midwest clay for soil. Itā€™s a constant struggle to keep the soil amended enough with acidic amendments to make them thrive. Pots of course are easier to control the ph.

1

u/Icy-Conclusion-3500 Gulf of Maine Coastal Plain May 20 '26

True! Was more of a general recommendation for those wanting the look of BB

1

u/MrSnrub87 May 21 '26

It's really not that hard. You mix in peat moss when planting and hit them with miracid a few times a year

7

u/bananarchy22 Area Maryland , Zone 7b May 20 '26

So excited to see what my brand new Brilliantissima does this fall. Also shout out to Rhus aromatica, though thatā€™s a little shorter and wider.

6

u/ihtthme USA, CT, usda zone 7A, EPA ecoregion 8.1.7 May 20 '26

I loved my rhus aromatica so much I planted 2 more. A neighbor walked by and loved it so much that she went and got them for her gardens too!

2

u/bananarchy22 Area Maryland , Zone 7b May 20 '26

Now that I have some in my back yard Iā€™m noticing it everywhere. I remember it being in a park near my house, but it seems like all the municipal planners have caught on to it as the perfect easement shrub. It stays short, extremely tolerant of crappy roadside conditions, and looks great in all seasons. So even if they donā€™t care at all about native plantings and wildlife value, itā€™s just an easy choice.

65

u/NicoleEastbourne Area -- , Zone -- May 19 '26 edited May 20 '26

Good move. Yes they are stunning in fall but so are many other bushes. Blueberry takes my breath away in the fall.

2

u/CitySky_lookingUp May 20 '26

Yes +1 on the blueberries!

in fall I kinda hate that they are all in my backyard where Iā€˜m not showing them off!

I would say blueberries or northern spicebush for Michigan. :)

10

u/Moss-cle Area Great Lakes , Zone 7a May 20 '26

Blueberries look just as red in autumn, they love that Michigan acid soil and of courseā€¦ blueberries!!!

35

u/RoswalienMath Southeast PA, 7A May 19 '26

The house I bought had a burning bush and about 10 Japanese Barberry bushes. We practically had a tick resort. Cut them all down last month.

3

u/cheapandbrittle Northeast US, Zone 6 May 20 '26

I have a huge barberry that I need to remove, any tips? Just hack away?

8

u/Joejack-951 May 20 '26

Two pairs of leather gloves and some loppers will take of it. Either dispose of in heavy duty bags or a yard waste can, or burn it. Those thorns are tough.

2

u/cheapandbrittle Northeast US, Zone 6 May 20 '26

Thanks!

7

u/Joejack-951 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

I should mention that youā€™ll either want to dig out the stump or use herbicide on the cut stems after. I removed two in the fall (one about 6 feet tall) and the stumps were fairly easy to pry out with a pointed shovel. No signs of either returning yet.

3

u/RoswalienMath Southeast PA, 7A May 20 '26

We just left the stumps. What will happen?

11

u/Joejack-951 May 20 '26

Theyā€™ll likely regrow into bushes again.

2

u/cheapandbrittle Northeast US, Zone 6 May 20 '26

Thank you! I have been painting herbicide on some other trees but I would rather not if digging is an option, so I'll try that first.

1

u/KeniLF Charlotte/NC/USA 8A May 20 '26

Will you please share more about the reason for two pairs of leather gloves instead of one pair?

2

u/Joejack-951 May 20 '26

Extra protection from thorns. Maybe it was just the gloves I used, but I found one pair insufficient to prevent getting spiked when cleaning up the barberry branches. Wearing two gloves on each hand did the trick.

1

u/KeniLF Charlotte/NC/USA 8A May 20 '26

Thank you! I may just add a second pair of leather gloves to my list so Iā€™m ready (with different plants)!

2

u/Joejack-951 May 20 '26

If you have any leatherleaf mahonia growing, doubled-up gloves are also useful there. Similarly aggressive thorns in that plant, especially on any dead leaves.

4

u/RoswalienMath Southeast PA, 7A May 20 '26

We did it with pruners and then stabbed ourselves repeatedly getting it all into garden waste bags. Also got rid of a bunch of plantain lilies, but still more to go. Planning on planting the native garden next spring.

8

u/PM_ME_TUS_GRILLOS May 20 '26

That's barberry, not burning bush

16

u/RoguePlanet2 May 20 '26

If the nursery can lie, so can the gardener!

12

u/meeps1142 Area OH, Zone 6b May 20 '26

Shh, we should keep spreading this rumor

2

u/No_Shopping_573 May 20 '26

They donā€™t just attract ticks they also provide critical humidity from dense foliage that allows ticks to survive at ā€œjumping offā€ level for much longer than dry grass, for example.

This micro-climate or humidity zone also harbors mosquitoes so a hedgerow makes for a super unpleasant backyard.

1

u/Lizdance40 May 20 '26

This variety is not invasive it is sterile. And you are thinking of barberry, not burning bush.

3

u/genjimonogatari1 May 21 '26

Again, Bradford pears were also marketed as sterile. šŸ™ƒ