Smoke bush 'Grace'

Sun

Full sun for the strongest leaf colour and best flowering; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly during establishment. Once established, it tolerates dry spells; water deeply during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including chalky, sandy or loamy ground; tolerates a wide pH range. Avoid persistently wet soil.

Height

12-15 ft (3.7-4.6 m)

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.6 m)

Flowers

Early to midsummer: tiny flowers in loose clusters develop into large, smoky pink plumes, mostly formed by fine hairs on the flower stalks.

Foliage

Large, rounded leaves emerge wine-red to purple, often becoming greener with age, then turn orange, scarlet and red in autumn.

Growth

Moderate to fast, especially after hard pruning.

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   5 ft (1.4 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   11 ft (3.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   14 ft (4.2 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply through the first two growing seasons whenever the root zone becomes dry.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch in spring, keeping it away from the stems.
• Avoid routine heavy feeding; use a modest spring feed only if growth is weak and the soil is poor.
• Allow space for the mature crown rather than repeatedly clipping it to fit a narrow bed.
• Keep the root zone well drained, especially during winter.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead, damaged and crossing branches; otherwise prune lightly to preserve flowering wood. For larger leaves on a smaller shrub, cut established stems back to 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), accepting that this usually sacrifices that summer's smoke plumes.

Spring

Plant in well-drained ground and water thoroughly; spring planting is particularly useful in colder regions.

Late winter

Remove damaged or crossing branches, or hard-prune an established plant if foliage rather than flowers is the priority.

Early spring

Renew the mulch without piling it against the stems.

Summer

Water young plants during dry spells and check foliage for mildew.

Autumn

Remove any ties that are constricting stems and check that the expanding crown has enough space.

• Use as a specimen shrub in a lawn or broad border, where its spreading shape can develop.
• Place behind silver foliage, ornamental grasses or pale flowers to make their colours stand out.
• Grow as a loose, multi-stemmed small tree to provide light screening and autumn colour.
• Hard-prune in a mixed border for bold foliage, allowing room for vigorous new shoots.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, English country, Modern rustic, New perennial (prairie), Autumn colour and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Russian sage, Catmint, Feather reed grass, Coneflower, Yarrow and Lamb's ears.

Wildlife: The branching crown offers shelter and possible nesting sites for small birds. The tiny flowers can attract visiting insects, but this is primarily a foliage and structural plant rather than a major wildlife food source.

• Verticillium wilt can cause sudden branch wilt and dieback. Remove affected wood; severely affected plants may need removal, and susceptible shrubs should not be replanted in the same soil.
• Powdery mildew may coat leaves in dry conditions with poor air circulation. Give the crown space, water the soil during drought and avoid excessive nitrogen feeding.
• Weak purple colouring usually reflects shade or normal summer greening. Choose a sunny position; even healthy plants may become greener as leaves mature.
• Few or no smoke plumes often follow hard pruning. Retain the older framework and prune lightly if flowering is important.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses, although information specifically for this hybrid is limited. Sap from cut stems and contact with foliage can irritate the skin of sensitive people; wear gloves when pruning and do not eat any part.

• Royal Purple smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple')

  Usually has smaller, more consistently dark purple leaves and a less vigorous habit; 'Grace' has especially large leaves that often become greener in summer.

• American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus)

  Usually has green summer leaves and a more tree-like habit, with excellent autumn colour but without the purple spring foliage typical of 'Grace'.

• Purple-leaved Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii)

  Has much smaller leaves, sharp spines and small yellow flowers rather than large smoky plumes.

The common name smoke bush refers to the fine, hairy flower stalks that make the summer plumes look like clouds of smoke.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer under humid conditions, or try layering a low branch. Rooting can be difficult; seed will not reliably produce plants identical to 'Grace'.

Accepted botanical name

Cotinus

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.