You can kill burning bush using four main methods that work well for most yards. Cut stump treatment puts herbicide right on fresh cuts. Foliar spray coats the leaves with chemicals. Basal bark treatment targets the trunk base. Manual removal digs out the whole root ball by hand.
I learned the hard way that burning bush removal takes more than one try in most cases. My first attempt was to just cut the shrub down to a stump. New shoots came back within two months from the roots I left behind. You need herbicide or full root removal to get rid of these plants for good.
The cut stump method works best for burning bush herbicide treatment on larger plants. Cut the shrub down to a stump about four inches tall. Then paint or spray herbicide on the fresh cut within ten minutes. The plant pulls the chemical down into the roots while the wound is still wet.
Penn State Extension says foliar treatments with glyphosate plus triclopyr work from mid-May through fall. Mix these two chemicals and spray them on the leaves until they drip. Triclopyr targets woody plants well. Glyphosate adds broad control that helps kill the whole system.
How to remove burning bush without chemicals takes more muscle but works fine on small plants. Dig a circle around the shrub about one foot wider than the branches spread. Push your shovel under the root ball and pry up. Pull out as much of the root mass as you can grab.
Basal bark treatment lets you kill the plant without cutting it down first. Mix triclopyr with oil and spray it around the bottom 12 to 15 inches of the trunk. The oil helps the chemical soak through the bark and into the wood. This method works year round even in winter months.
Safety matters when you use any herbicide on your property at all. Wear long sleeves and gloves to keep spray off your skin. Protect your eyes with goggles. Keep kids and pets away from treated areas until the spray dries which takes about an hour in most weather.
Check back on treated stumps every few weeks during the growing season. New sprouts may pop up from roots you missed or from areas where herbicide did not reach deep enough. Spray or cut these right away before they can store energy in the roots again and get big.
Most burning bush plants need two to three treatments over one or two years to die off for good. The roots store a lot of energy that lets the plant bounce back from a single treatment. Stay on top of regrowth and you will win this battle with time and effort.
Read the full article: Burning Bush Plant Care and Growing Guide
