Burning Bush

A: Hi Charles. The best time to prune your burning bush is in late winter while it is still dormant. Burning bush (euonymus) can be pruned in fall if necessary but I wouldn't do that for two reasons. First, Burning bush is a pretty ordinary plant that goes unnoticed until fall when the foliage comes alive in brilliant red. It would be a shame to cut it in the height of its glory. Secondly, and more important, fall pruning can open the plant to winter injury with torn or exposed bark or damage new growth that may sprout as a result of pruning. It's still warm enough in early September that a plant could put on new growth if pruned now. I'd wait.

-JL