invasive ornamental
pictures taken in may (left) and june (right).
despite being illegal and recognized as an invasive not just in massachusetts but in all of the northeast (except vermont - get it together, vermont), this bush is still commonly bought, sold, and traded for ornamental purposes. it's everywhere!
its leaves turn a beautiful bright scarlet red in the fall, which gave it its name. it is also known as "winged euonymus" for the odd-looking "wings" on its branches (pictured on the right). the 'compacta' cultivar is smaller and has fewer of these wings; i believe we have a mix of the two here, as some of the burning bushes definitely are more winged than others.
burning bush is large, and tends to both shade out native plants and crowd them out as well by forming dense thickets. it will grow just about anywhere except in thick shade - it will grow at the edge of forests, but not spread deep into them - and is very low-maintenance, which adds to its appeal as an ornamental plant.