Photos show barberry (on the Left), with its round leaves clustered along the stem and Euonymus alatus or burning bush (on the right), with pointed leaves and the beginnings of its corky stem “wings“.

Who can resist the nursery catalogs offering “burning bush” with its attractive shape and brilliant fall color, or barberry, with its rows of dangling red berries? Many Norfolkians have heeded the siren call and placed these shrubs in prominent spots in their yards.
Unfortunately, these bushes are highly invasive alien species, with birds and small animals spreading their seeds into neighboring woodlands, where they beat out native plants. Native caterpillars cannot eat the foliage of these plants, and a loss in biodiversity occurs. Japanese barberry has even been linked to an increase in Lyme-disease-bearing ticks.
To provide an incentive for landowners to correct the landscaping mistakes of the past, the Norfolk Conservation Commission will offer an exchange. Norfolk residents who remove winged euonymus (“burning bush”) or Japanese barberry from their yards can come to the Conservation Commission booth at the Farmers Market on June 12 to receive a free native plant to put in its place.
Twelve native plants, ranging from grasses to trees, have been donated by Pride’s Corner Farm in Lebanon, Connecticut. Each participant is limited to one plant, while supplies last. The Conservation Commission needs to see proof of removal, such as a photograph, and proof of identity, such as a branch from the removed shrub.

Photos By Bruce Frisch