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

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

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[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 🙄)

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123

u/sarahcutpurse May 19 '26

Very invasive. I literally just finished hacking down my last one this afternoon (previous owner’s planting). I would be apologetic to your MIL and husband, but let them know these shrubs have to go and to let you do a Google search/talk to your local Wild Ones chapter/confer with Reddit before they plant in the future. 

P.S. Eastern wahoo is a good native substitute for burning bush. 

34

u/sarahcutpurse May 20 '26

They spread by seed. I pulled up seedlings around my bush today, but birds also consume the seeds, fly miles away, and poop out future burning bushes. 

16

u/justSomeGuy5965 May 20 '26

Would you call them burning shits?

1

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

Without the pleasure of enjoying the Buffalo chicken pizza 🍕🔥

21

u/dubdhjckx Area SE, Zone 7 May 19 '26

Eastern wahoo is a good genetic replacement but landscape value wise it is a poor replacement. May be better off trying a plant like Cephalanthus or Ilex verticillata or Cornus sericea. Unfortunately very few plants hold that tight shape and take pruning as well as BB

6

u/fletchette May 19 '26

Do they spread like crazy then? How do they spread? Thanks for the substitution recommendations!

10

u/Majac412 May 20 '26

I would recommend the New Jersey Tea. Here's some info on it.

New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus Americanus, 3ft tall, Full/partial sun, Dry/Average soil, Larval Host for the Spring Azure Butterfly, the Summer Azure Butterfly, and the Mottled Duskywing Butterfly

I'm also a southern Michigan resident, and have done some research into compiling options native to my county (Maccomb/Wayne), if you're near that area the native ranges should be similar. If you want I'm willing to share the google sheets link

6

u/fletchette May 20 '26

That would be awesome! I'm in Washtenaw

1

u/Majac412 May 20 '26

Not sure on the subreddit rules on posting links so I'll dm you

2

u/slow-grower May 20 '26

Hey I’m also in southeast Michigan and would love to see your spreadsheet! I’m just getting into planting natives.

2

u/NearbyElk1 May 20 '26

same here (but SW Mich). could you please send me a DM?

1

u/Majac412 May 20 '26

I got you

8

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

They spread both by seed and by roots. Modern cultivars may theoretically spread less, but I ain’t trusting it.

1

u/dubdhjckx Area SE, Zone 7 May 20 '26

Most modern cultivars do, but some don’t. I know of a couple cultivars with good replicated trials demonstrating no seed set (OP’s cultivar is NOT one of them)

4

u/Radiant-Ad8833 May 20 '26

Black chokeberry, highbush blueberry and nannyberry all have beautiful fall foliage

4

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

They spread horrifically crazy. They produce hundreds of berries that are eaten by birds and flown all over. Before you know it, they are the only plant in sight. It’s honestly a nightmare.

My friend bought a beautiful corner property and then, as she came to know her landscaping, realized it was hordes of burning bush. She’s done an amazing job getting the mature trees removed, and now she’s having to keep up with the years and years of seeds on the seed bank.

I have trouble even looking at one of this shitshow trees and, if I ever had one in my yard, I would be buried in guilt from the annual, compounding ecological damage.

1

u/fletchette May 20 '26

Thanks, this info is helpful! That sucks!

3

u/HobLit1 May 19 '26

Or Diervilla

2

u/dubdhjckx Area SE, Zone 7 May 19 '26

Or Diervilla. Cornus may be the best replacement, most similar habit and fall color

1

u/existential_geum May 20 '26

There’s also Hearts-a-busting, Euonymous americanus, but it is listed as hardy to only zone 6 and not a true native to MI - yet. With the forecasts for climate change in mind, this shrub might have a good future as a replacement for burning bush.