Oregon Grape vs Burning Bush - TreeTime.ca

Oregon Grape vs Burning Bush

Euonymus alatus

Berberis aquifolium (Mahonia aquifolium)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Burning Bush
Oregon Grape

Burning Bush is a unique shrub whose leaves turn firey red in the fall. You can plant it in rows to make a hedge or on its own. Burning Bush requires little maintenance and thrives in just about any kind of soil, which makes it a good choice for inexperienced growers. Plant it in full sun to get its best fall color.

Note: Burning Bush is considered an invasive species in eastern North America. Please plant the right tree in the right place.

Oregon Grape is an evergreen shrub native to North America, found along the Pacific coast. In spring, the bright golden-yellow flowers appear in clusters above the leaves. These flowers eventually give way to edible blue berries in late summer. While not a true grape, the berries appear grape-like due to their colouring and clustered growth. They can be eaten fresh, but the sour taste and high amounts of natural pectin make them well suited for preserves.

The Oregon Grape has leaves that are glossy, leathery, and spiny-edged. This feature gives it its alternate name of Holly-leaved Barberry. When the leaves emerge in the spring they are a bronze-red colour. In the summer they transition to green, followed by bright red to deep burgundy in the fall. Leaves are retained throughout the winter and colder temperatures cause the leaves to turn purplish bronze, providing year round interest to the landscape.

Burning Bush Quick Facts

Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: any
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: long
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: fiery red
Fall colour: bright red to deep burgundy
Flowers: yellow-green
Flowers: yellow
Berries: reddish purple
Berries: blue to purple, large
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: BC
Other Names: winged burning bush, winged euonymus, winged spindle