Smokin' Cotinus
Coggygria ‘Ancot’:
6-8’x6-8’ Chartreuse to golden leaves that turn amber, burgundy and scarlet in fall.
Smokin’ Cotinus
Cotinus, also commonly known as Smoketree or Smokebush, is a beloved shrub or tree prized for its beautiful foliage and the stunning seasonal show of “smoke”. It gets its name from the large, plume-like clusters of pink/yellow flowers that appear in mid-summer. As summer progresses the plumes turn to large airy, showy smoke-like puffs which last throughout the entire summer. Cotinus typically grows as an upright, loose-spreading, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub; it is sometime trained to have a single truck which has a tree like habit. The purple leafed varieties provide a dark brilliant contrast to the green of the garden; in fall the leaves turn to brilliant shades of red. The chartreuse green varieties deliver a bright accent through summer followed by a colorful show in fall of peach, scarlet or gold.
Culture: Plant in full sun to part shade in medium moist, well-drained soil. Planting in full sun leads to the best leaf color. Cotinus are drought tolerant once established. To preserve the flowers, prune very lightly in early spring only as needed, as it blooms on old wood. Hard pruning can control the size but at the sacrifice of the next year’s flowering. It is outstanding as a single specimen or accent, in groups or mass plantings, in shrub borders or as an informal hedge or screen. Native to southern Europe to central China.
X ‘Grace’:
12-15’x12-15’ Foliage is a vibrant wine red when young, darkening to a plum red at maturity. The leaves are much larger than other varieties and turn brilliant shades of iridescent orange-red in the fall.
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Coggygria ‘Royal Purple’:
10-15’x10-12’ Rich maroon red leaves in spring that gradually mature to dark purplish-red to purplish-black in summer. Foliage turns brilliant scarlet red in fall.
Coggygria ‘Winecraft Black’:
4-6’’x4-6’ Rounded dwarf habit. Foliage emerges rich purple in spring and turns deep near black in summer followed by reds and oranges in fall.
Coggygria ‘Purple Supreme’:
8-10’x8-10’ Deep purple leaves with hints of pink followed by brilliant red in fall.