Cotinus (Smokebush)

Common Names: Smokebush, Smoketree, Smoke Tree, Skumpia, Venetian sumach, dyer’s sumach

Origin: North America, Eurasia, Southern & Central China

Stunning foliage in summer and autumn
Ornamental flowers resembling puffs of smoke
Enjoys full sun and partial shade, drought and frost tolerant

This is a striking deciduous shrub or small tree prized for its unique foliage over a long season. The blend of colours ranges from green, orange, red and purplish bronze, changing throughout spring, summer and autumn.

The inflorescences form as fine purplish branchlets with sparse tiny pink flowers, giving the appearance of pale fawn/greyish puffs of smoke scattered over the tree. These shrubs are spectacular additions to any garden being easy to cultivate and tolerant of most conditions.

Plant Type: Shrub, Small Tree

Uses: Feature, Medium Hedge, Standards & Topiary, Pleaching, Floristry (cut flowers & foliage)

Garden Types: Pots & Containers, Tropical, Lush & Leafy, Cottage, Woodland, Japanese, Courtyard

A dense Smokebush with dark purple leaves and wispy, smoke-like flower clusters grows in a garden, with a bench and green foliage in the background.

Care

Sun Requirements: Full sun or part shade position

Water Requirements: Water semi regularly until established but these plants do not like wet feet! Make sure the soil drains well.

Soil Requirements: Will tolerate a bit of sandy and clay soil but look their best in moist, well-drained loamy soil.

Fertilizing: General-purpose fertilizer in spring. Not required once established unless soil lacks nutrients. The flowers diminish if over fertilized.

Pruning: To keep in a neat shape, prune soft water shoots where needed, avoiding pruning during heavy frost periods. Remove dead, dying or diseased wood.

Tolerances: Frost hardy. Does not tolerate soggy soils or extreme drought.

Diseases: Reasonably disease and pest tolerant.

Key Features

Flower: Many tiny flowers at the end of long panicles, which gives a hazy, smoky effect. Purple, pink, bronzey-fawn or greyish in colour. Used for cut flowers. Flowers during summer.