burning bush trouble

I have a Burning Bush that is about 3 ft. tall and is just starting to look good. While weedwhacking, I got alittle too close and took the bark off of both the two main branches down near the ground. Is there anything I can do for them now or is it a gonner?

Unfortunatley not if the branches have been entirely ringed. Weed whackers are a common cause of fatal or severely disfiguring injuries to trees and shrubs. If there are other smaller branches still intact you havn't lost the shrub. It will put out new growth. To avoid this problem in the future ,and to give the shrub better growing conditions, put down a layer of mulch around the base out to the drip line. Dont let the mulch touch the trunk or branches. The mulch should smother any weed growth and eliminate the need for wheed whacking so close. Less work for you and better for your plantings.

I found a can of this black stuff that you spray on damaged trees, rose bushes, and shrubs. I'm giving it a try.

It's not a substitute for the cambium. Cambium is the green layer just under the brown bark that transports water and nutrients up to the leaves and food from the leaves to the roots. If you've destroyed the cambium no spray will have any positive effect. In addition those sprays can trap moisture and diseases and provide a perfect place for rots to set in. If you do have any good cambium left you could destroy that with the use of the spray. Mulch, provide regular water, prune out any dead and do not fertilize.

G'Day
I don't know the "Burning Bush" at all but you might like to investigate the possibility of Inarch Grafting. This is where several pieces of healthy wood (either from your tree or someone else's bush) are grafted below and above the injury bridging the damage and restoring the path for translocation of nutrients and moisture. You could try doing the job yourself, or if the plant is important enough, hiring someone to do the job for you.
If you want to try yourself I think you could get advice from your Dept of Ag on how to do it but if not just yell and I will try to set up a demo for you to follow.
Regards Brian

That's a good suggestion Stake. I'm more familiar with "bridge grafting". I have to admit I've tried it once and I wasn't successful. I just wasn't skilled enough to make the unions.

I think that Inarch & Bridge are different names for the same operation.
Since you are familiar with the operation give it another try this time might be successful, just make sure you have Cambium to Cambium contact on both ends.
Brian

Or one could just plant another Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), which are about the most inexpensive common ornamental shrub around. Three feet tall is about 3-4 years from a rooted cutting.

Oh - did I mention that this species is considered an invasive pest plant in eastern US, even though it is a one season crimson wonder in fall.

Audrey, I inherited over 70 mature Burning Bush when I bought my house. You can have all of them, plus all of the *!$* seedlings they produce. Then I could plant some nice viburnums. ;-)

I've had two dwarf burning bushes since 2003 and saw my first seedling this year. I think the nasty winters here keep them under control. Sparrows ate the leaf buds this year so foliation was delayed.

I don't currently have any Euonymus alata. I did have an entire hedge for about 6 years or so. There was never a seedling. Many of my neighbors have this shrub in their lansdcape. You just don't see any invasivness in this particular part of zone 5.

I agree on the invasiveness thing. I haven't seen much of a problem with it here in central Ma. I won't have to worry about it since I did the thing with the black stuff in the can. It's probably a gonner. It did say on the can to use with trees, shrubs, and rose bushes. Thanks for all of the input. Atleast I'll know what to do next time.