Melinda Myers

Smokebush

Botanical Name

Cotinus coggygria

Min Zone

5

Max Zone

8

Height

10 to 15 feet

Width

10 to 15 feet

Flowers

The actual flowers are tiny and not showy, the structure that holds the flowers is covered with hairs and provides the showy 'smoke'

Fall Color

Reddish-purple, orange

Light

Full sun to light shade

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and ranges of pH
• Perfoms well in dry, rocky soils
• Good drainage is essential
• Avoid planting in low lying areas where soil remains wet
• Benefits from a layer of mulch around roots to moderate soil temperatures
• Prune varieties with colorful foliage back to the ground in late winter to promote vigorous, colorful new growth

Problems

Rust, leaf spot, verticillium wilt

Varieties

• Velvet Cloak - dark purple foliage maintains its color throughout the season, attractive purple-pink plumes of 'smoke', reddish-purple fall color
• Royal Purple - dark purple leaves, reddish-purple fall color and 'smoke', 10 to 15 feet tall
• Daydream - bluish-green foliage, purplish 'smoke', yellow-red fall color
• Golden Spirit (Cotinus coggygria 'Ancot') - new leaves emerge chartruse maturing to medium green in summer; fall color ranges from pink, orange, coral to red, 6 to 8 feet tall
• Grace - blue-green leaves, large pink panicles of 'smoke', can be trained as a small tree or large shrub, 15 to 20 feet