Plant growing inside of a burning bush?

12 years ago

We have 7 burning bushes around our home. I think two of them have another plant growing inside of them. It looks like the plant is part of the burning bush as I've tracked the stems down to the burning bush wood, but the leaves are completely different and the branches grow much faster than the burning bush (some are about 8-12" taller than the burning bush).

So, the stems have three large leaves (up to 6" long) at the end of the branch, then about 4 inches back, there are two leaves, one on each side. I researched poison ivy, and the only similarity is one set of three notched leaves. However, the new leaves are bright green and look more like leaves of a birch tree. Also the only set of three leaves is at the end of the branch. The mystery leaves are growing around the base of the bush as well up through and over the top of the bush. The stems are thick - up to 1/2".

Any ideas? Is this actually a part of the burning bush??

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Comments (5)

brandon7 TN_zone7
12 years ago
It certainly doesn't sound like part of your shrub, but, without a picture, it's hard to know what it could be.

The most common shrub with the common name "burning bush" is Euonymus alatus (formerly, Euonymus alata), so I'll guess that's what you have (the 7 shrubs around your house, not the oddball). My recommendation would be to consider removal of all seven shrubs, since Euonymus alatus is an environmentally-damaging invasive species in your state, and replacement with something better.

Here is a link that might be useful: Euonymus alatus/alata - States Where Known to be Invasive
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
i can not be the same plant.. if it has such a divergent look.. that you noticed it ... i mean really its been there long enough to outgrow the host.. lol ...

most likely some bird is using your bush as a perch to spread the seeds of some invasive plant nearby ...

need a pic .. words alone are not good enough for an ID ...

ken
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rj56
12 years ago
Sometimes the squirrels will hide their walnuts which will then sprout amidst my shrubs and perennials. They are a bear to remove too.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
cut the culprit to the ground .. and drip roundup or stumpkiller JUST ON THE CAMBIAN LAYER of the cut part ...

if any sprouts should reappear ... snip again.. and drip again.. just on the cut part ...

applied properly.. and not being wasteful ... it will have no effect on the one you want to keep ...

ken
rj56
12 years ago
I have used Ken's method for walnut tree starts and it is effective.