Dwarf burning bush is the compact form of the shrub famous for one thing: fall color. Come October the leaves turn a saturated scarlet red on a dense, rounded plant that still reaches 6 to 8 feet if left unpruned. Corky ridges along the winter stems add a little off-season texture, and birds pick at the small fruits.

Full sun gives the strongest fall color, though it grows fine in part sun. It is unfussy about soil as long as drainage is decent, takes shearing well if you want it smaller, and appreciates deep water in dry spells while young.