Is Burning Bush Toxic to Dogs and Cats? (2026)

Contact a vet, especially for berry ingestion — Euonymus berries are more concentrated in the cardiac glycosides than leaves.

The toxic component in Burning Bush is cardiac glycosides (in the same broad class as oleander, though generally less potent).

Part-specific risk: Berries are more concentrated in toxins than leaves.

Burning Bush earns its name from spectacular fall foliage color, not from any burning sensation on contact — but its berries do carry the same cardiac glycoside family found in American Bittersweet and, more dangerously, in Oleander.

Scientific name

Euonymus atropurpurea

Family

Celastraceae

Also known as

Burning Bush, Wahoo, Spindle Tree

Typically found

outdoor