Q • We have a new driveway, and want to plant a hedge of Euonymus burning bush. When is the optimum time to plant them? How far apart? Does this plant root from cuttings or by putting a brick on a living stem from a growing plant?
A • Fall (September to mid-October) or spring are the optimum times for planting burning bush. The most common form available in the nursery trade is the dwarf Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus,’ which grows to the approximate dimensions of 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. The standard species form gets about twice that size over time. Assuming you plant the dwarf form, I would space them 3 to 4 feet apart, depending on budget and how quickly you want them to fill in.
Burning bush can be rooted either from stem cuttings or by layering a lower stem using the brick method you mentioned. Find information on propagating Euonymus online in the guide sheet here: extension.missouri.edu/p/g6970
Write to Chip Tynan at [email protected] or Horticultural Answer Service, Department PD, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Mo. 63166. Check his blog at: mobot.org/gardeninghelp/hilight.asp