Article: Burning bush's glow is muted maroon, not red Less fiery version of the shrub may be a dwarf variety

Q: I purchased a shrub that was supposed to turn a brilliant fiery red in the fall. Instead I have a few leaves that turn maroon instead of the brilliant red. Can I amend the soil to fix the problem or do I need to replace the plant?

A: The burning bush or winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus) is one of the favorite red fall colored shrubs in our area. The burning bush is one of the earlier shrubs to turn colors in fall, with its leaves becoming a brilliant watermelon red color. The dwarf cultivar (variety) turns color a little later in the fall; its leaves turn maroon. It sounds as if you have a dwarf burning bush, which grows to 10 feet.

You can't change the fall color unless you ...

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