Euonymus occidentalis var. occidentalis

Western burning bush

Family: Celastraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Western burning bush is a California native shrub found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, and central western California in shaded streambanks and canyons at elevations of 20 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small greenish-white flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with multiple ascending stems 1 to 3 meters tall, it develops a distinctive branching structure with smooth, somewhat angular branches. Its opposite leaves are simple, dark green, and approximately 3 to 8 centimeters long with finely serrated margins. The fruit is a distinctive four-lobed capsule that turns bright red when mature, giving the plant its evocative common name.

Habitat: Shaded streambanks, canyons

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 20-1600 m

Bioregions: NW, CaRH, n SNH, CW

California counties: Humboldt, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Butte, Trinity, Mendocino, Marin, San Mateo, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Contra Costa, Plumas

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.