Grand Haven, MI – Spring Meadow Nursery is proud to unveil Proven Winners® ColorChoice® FIRE BALL SEEDLESS™, the first seedless burning bush on the market, which will be available to wholesale growers in the spring of 2024.
The burning bush (Euonymus alatus) was introduced to North America in the mid-1800s. It was brought to the United States as an ornamental plant from East Asia. Its distinctive red fall foliage and compact growth habit make it a popular choice for landscaping and ornamental use.
However, over the years, conventional burning bush has spread to many parts of North America, particularly in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, where it can outcompete native vegetation and disrupt local ecosystems. As a result, it is now considered an invasive species in several regions, and efforts are being made to control its progress.
Known for introducing some of North America’s most innovative woody ornamentals, Spring Meadow Nursery has been addressing invasiveness for years with a wide variety of low seed set and seedless alternatives to problematic species. Their new seedless burning bush promises to be one of the most important introductions to date.
Bred by Dr. Tom Ranney and his crew at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in North Carolina, FIRE BALL SEEDLESS™ Euonymus alatus provides the same blazing fall color as traditional burning bush but without the seeds and stigma. It is a truly innovative, game-changing plant with all the durability and inferno-red color but with no risk of spreading into wild areas like conventional burning bush.
FIRE BALL SEEDLESS™ Euonymus is hardy in zone 4-8, adaptable and will grow to 5-7’ tall/wide.
Other non-invasive alternatives introduced by the nursery include SUNJOY TODO® and SUNJOY MINI MAROON® Berberis, the LO & BEHOLD® series of Buddleia, POLLYPETITE® Hibiscus syriacus, and FINE LINE® Rhamnus.
Spring Meadow Nursery plans to phase out the original FIRE BALL® Euonymus over the next five to ten years in its continuing efforts to mitigate woody plant invasiveness.
For more information about Proven Winners® ColorChoice® shrub introductions, or to order liners of FIRE BALL SEEDLESS™ Euonymus, visit SpringMeadowNursery.com.
