Burning Bush is seriously invasive. Yes, I know the box stores and nurseries still sell it.

Consider Itea Virginica 'Henry's Garnet' or 'Little Henry' for bright orange/burgandy fall color. The bonus is nice summer flowers. I have several which take a good deal of shade, but not sure it's as much as your spot is getting.

Thanks for the tip. I only knew of the Burning Bush from reading last summer an article from the Home and Garden site that was promoting it for Fall Color. I then noticed a dozen or so of them at one of the nurseries, although neglected to buy at the time.

I checked out some pictures of "Henry's Garnet", and it looks fine. Of course, I don't know if anyone carries it, but I'll be looking.

I wish my neighbor's burning bushes would invade my property! They are so pretty. They've been there for 10 years or so and I have yet to find a volunteer seedling.

I don't think the area you described gets enough sun for anything except shade lovers. The sun is much less strong as you get after 3ish. You'd want sun from say noon or 1 on. Maybe big leaf hydrangeas would do well there, and many of them color up in the fall. Oakleaf hydrangeas have lovely fall color.

I'm with you watergal - I've never seen any sprouts from my Burning Bush. Apparently there is something called a Winged Burning Bush that is the invasive plant, but there seem to be plants called Burning Bush that don't sprout saplings.

They do seriously spread graywings, it's just not happening in your yard. Birds eat the seeds and they germinate where conditions are favorable. Which is the basically the rest of the Mid Atlantic. It's possible you have not identified the seedlings in your yard, and are mowing them or pulling.

Here's a good link on what NOT to plant. (And yes the 'winged eunoymous' is the common Home Depot variety 'Burning Bush' Euonymus alatus which the original poster is considering. )

Here is a link that might be useful: What NOT to plant

I just reposted my question in more general terms, along with a picture. I appreciate any ideas.