The burning bush stands out in many landscapes for its intense scarlet foliage each autumn. This vibrant display offers a singular moment of brilliance. Companion planting around this shrub can extend visual appeal, creating a garden that remains engaging across all seasons.
Understanding the Burning Bush
The burning bush is a deciduous shrub known for its dense, multi-stemmed growth. It typically reaches a mature height of 10 to 15 feet and can spread 8 to 12 feet wide. Its distinctive feature, aside from its brilliant fall color, is the corky “wings” that develop on its stems, providing winter interest.
This shrub is adaptable to various growing conditions, thriving in full sun to partial shade. While it tolerates a range of soil types, it performs best in well-drained soil. The most vivid crimson fall foliage usually develops with ample sunlight.
Choosing the Right Companion Plants
Selecting companion plants for the burning bush involves considering several factors to ensure garden harmony and plant health. Plants chosen should share similar preferences for light exposure and soil conditions, including drainage and pH levels, to promote robust growth.
Visual attributes also play a role in creating an appealing design. Consider plants that offer complementary colors and textures, especially against the burning bush’s fiery autumn display. Contrasting leaf shapes or varied heights can add depth and interest. Selecting plants with different peak seasons of interest ensures the garden remains attractive beyond the burning bush’s fall show.
Top Companion Plant Recommendations
Evergreen selections provide year-round structure and a verdant backdrop that highlights the burning bush’s seasonal transformation. Dwarf conifers, such as miniature globe arborvitae or dwarf Japanese garden junipers, offer diverse forms and textures. Boxwood shrubs, with their dense, small leaves, create a formal, classic feel and maintain their deep green color. These evergreens thrive in well-drained soil and can tolerate a range of light conditions from full sun to partial shade, aligning with the burning bush’s needs.
Perennials introduce varied textures and seasonal blooms. Ornamental grasses like fountain grass or switchgrass contribute movement and fine texture, often displaying their own appealing fall colors or seed heads that persist into winter. Most ornamental grasses prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Daylilies offer a burst of summer color with profuse blooms and are remarkably adaptable to various soil types as long as drainage is good, preferring at least six hours of daily sunlight. Sedum varieties, with succulent foliage and late-season flowers, provide architectural interest and are exceptionally drought-tolerant once established, thriving in full to part sun and very well-drained conditions. Hostas are suitable for shadier parts of a planting, offering bold foliage in various shades of green, blue, and gold; they prefer moist, rich, well-drained soil and partial to full shade, though some tolerate morning sun.
Deciduous shrubs add seasonal interest. Panicle hydrangeas, such as ‘Limelight’ or ‘Vanilla Fraise’, produce large, conical flower heads that transition from white to pink or red through summer and fall, and they perform well in full sun to partial shade with moist, well-drained soil. Spirea shrubs come in many sizes and offer colorful foliage and clusters of spring or summer blooms, generally preferring full sun and well-drained soil. Ninebark varieties, particularly those with dark purple or bronze foliage, provide a striking color contrast to the burning bush and feature interesting peeling bark in winter. They tolerate a wide range of conditions, from full sun to light shade, and prefer well-drained soil.
Designing Your Landscape
Strategic placement of plants is important for a visually pleasing and healthy garden. When arranging burning bushes with their companions, consider the mature size of each plant to prevent overcrowding. Adequate spacing ensures proper air circulation and allows each specimen to reach its full potential.
Creating visual depth through layering is another effective technique. Place taller plants, like the burning bush or larger ornamental grasses, at the back of a border, with medium-height shrubs and perennials in front, and lower-growing plants along the edge. Long-term considerations include understanding the basic maintenance needs of all plants, such as pruning requirements and watering schedules, to ensure the health and longevity of the entire planting.