Growing the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush

Size and Appearance

The Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush is a deciduous shrub with a rounded form, growing in a few years into a bushy plant between 4 and 6 feet tall and wide. It doesn’t push out in all directions like the common old smoke bush, but stays neat and compact, with dense branching. The smooth, near-round leaves are about 3 inches long, carried on a long leaf stalk. New spring leaves are bright yellow, with the leaf edge and every vein neatly accented in rich orange. From a distance the effect is glowing orange-yellow. The leaves then become solid yellow, and as summer arrives they turn to more chartreuse tones.

During the summer, from June to September, this tree produces its unique smoky flowers. Each branch is topped with a flower head 10 inches long and 8 inches across. It is a fine network of branches and feathery hairs, with small greenish-yellow flowers scattered among them. The effect is like a cloud of smoky gold floating over the bush – truly beautiful. As if all this wasn’t enough, in fall the leaves turn from chartreuse to orange-red, as if you had set the bush on fire. Few if any shrubs pass through such an amazing medley of colors, as if orchestrated by the god of fire.

Using the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush in Your Garden

The compact size of the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush makes it perfect to plant at the back of beds in smaller gardens, or out on a small lawn area. In large beds it can be planted in the middle, with taller shrubs and small trees behind it. It also makes a spectacular screen along a fence or boundary, and could even be grown in a large planter or half-barrel. It is a perfect companion for dark colored shrubs, especially with the dark-purple leaves of the Winecraft Black Smoke Bush, which grows the same size. It looks great with any darker colors, just remember it is often best to put the gold behind the purple, and not the other way round, for the best impact.

With its compact size this shrub is perfect for use in smaller gardens as a specimen, alone on a lawn or in shrub beds. Use it behind smaller shrubs – it looks amazing with yellow leaves or blooms nearby – or in front of larger ones, depending on your beds. Plant it as a screen along a fence, or beside a path or driveway. It is even small enough to grow for years in planter boxes or a tub, so you can grow it almost anywhere.

Hardiness

The Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush is hardy all the way from zone 4 to 8. In zone 4 it may have some winter-kill to the branch tips, but this doesn’t make much difference to its growth.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Grow the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush in full sun for the best colors, especially through summer. Unlike some other golden shrubs, it doesn’t burn in the heat of summer. It can also be planted in partial shade, but it will turn stronger shades of chartreuse sooner, and not color as well in fall. It grows really well in just about any soil, including poor soils, gravels, and urban soil, just as long as it is well-drained. Avoid wet places. You should water regularly for the first couple of years, but once established this plant is very drought resistant and tough.

Pruning and Maintenance

Pests or diseases are almost never problems, and deer normally don’t bother with it. You can keep it more perfectly ball-shaped by trimming in early spring, but if you trim too much, or in summer, then flowering will be reduced significantly. A light trim once the flower heads shrivel will keep it attractive for the fall.

History and Origin of the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush

The smoke bush, or smoketree, Cotinus coggygria, is also sometimes known by its older name of Rhus cotinus. It can be found growing wild all across Europe and Asia, from southern Europe to China. It grows in wild, barren places, away from trees and on poor soil, which is why it is so tough in our gardens. Wild trees are large, growing as much as 20 feet tall and wide. It is popular all over the world, and we need to go to Beaufort-en-Anjou, in the middle of France, to find the origin of this one. There, at Minier Nurseries, their Research and Development Director, Patrick Pineau, crossed together the old variety Royal Purple’with a gold-leaf variety, Ancot. He grew the seedlings, and in 2009 picked out one he named Mincojau3. This variety is sold in Europe under the trademark name of Golden Lady®. It was patented in the US in 2019, and released by Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. with the trademark name Winecraft Gold, under their Proven Winners® brand.

Buying the Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush The Tree Center

The Winecraft Gold Smoke Bush truly is one of the very best golden-leaf shrubs available, and also one of the easiest to grow. Set your garden on fire, and turn heads at your flare with color by simply planting this beautiful shrub. Order now though, because amazing new plants like this sell so fast you would think we were holding a fire sale.

Growing the Old Fashioned Smoketree

Size and Appearance

The Old-Fashioned Smoketree is a rounded deciduous shrub, growing 6 or 8 feet tall, and spreading outwards to about 6 feet across. The branches are thick, and they grow out at broad angles, giving the tree a unique winter profile, almost like a set of antlers. This variety has nearly circular leaves, which are 3½ inches long and almost 3 inches across, with smooth edges and a slightly glossy surface. The new leaves in spring are a deep rich red, with overtones of gray-purple.

It is during the early summer months when this tree blooms. The actual flowers are tiny, greenish and inconspicuous, but they are carried in clusters of long, feather hairs that are a delicious smoky pink color. This creates the ’smoke’ that tops the plant all through June, giving it a completely unique look, like no other plant we know.

In summer the foliage matures to a very unusual blue green, which is the ‘old-fashioned’ thing about this plant. This cool color is very attractive to see during hot weather, and means your plant looks different, instead of being the same every day. As the cooler nights of fall arrive the leaves take on amazing colors of brilliant red, oranges and purples, and this is one of the most colorful fall shrubs available. It is easy to see what a varied picture this great plant paints in your garden through the changing seasons – never a dull moment.

Using the Old Fashioned Smoketree in Your Garden

This shrub is perfect to place out on a lawn, where it can grow to its mature size and become an attractive specimen plant. Grow it along the back of your shrub beds, for an ever-changing backdrop to your flowers. Create a screen or informal hedge to enclose your garden or use it to fill the empty corners of your yard. For a continuous screen allow about 4 feet between each plant and they will soon grow together.

Hardiness

The Old Fashioned Smoketree is completely hardy in zone 5 and in all warmer zones except for zone 9, so it can be grown across most of the country. Even in zone 4 it will usually survive, with some winter damage that can easily be pruned away, although it will be smaller, and it may not flower every year. Still, you can still enjoy its lovely foliage transformations.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For good growth the Old Fashioned Smoketree should be grown in full sun, or in as much sun as possible. Too much shade will make the leaves greener, and the plant less bushy, with weaker growth. This tough shrub prefers drier, well-drained soils, including sandy soils, rough ground and urban soils. Avoid wet places, but water young plants weekly for the first summer – after that they will be very drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although it can easily be pruned as needed in early spring, it is better to leave the Old Fashioned Smoketree to grow naturally, if you have allowed enough room. Unpruned plants flower best, and pruning often results in long, awkward stems developing, creating an ungainly looking plant. Remove the spent flower heads for neatness, although that isn’t necessary. Pests and diseases are almost unknown, and this is a very easy and reliable plant to grow, needing virtually no care at all.

History and Origin of the Old Fashioned Smoketree

The Smoketree, Cotinus coggygria, grows naturally in rocky and wild places, too tough for forests to develop, such as on hillsides and mountain slopes. It grows over a very large area, from Southern Europe eastward all the way to central China. It has been grown in European gardens for centuries, and almost as long in America. There is a rare native species, Cotinus obovata, growing in the south, which was used widely in the past for the dye in its wood. It is conceivable that it is in fact an escaped population of the European tree, derived from early settlements.

In the 1980s Henny Kolster, a nurseryman in Boskoop, The Netherlands, collected some seed from smoketrees he had growing, and raised a batch of seedlings. In 1989 he noticed one plant that had unusually large and round leaves, and unique foliage coloring. He selected it and grew more from stem pieces. Naming it ‘Old Fashioned’, he patented it in America in 2008.

Buying the Old Fashioned Smoketree at The Tree Center

We love the classic features of this tree, with its ever-changing leaf colors. It is a reliable and tough addition to your garden, that will amaze you with its versatility and charming smoke effect. These trees are always in high demand from gardeners who need tough plants, so order now, before our supplies run out.

Growing the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree

Size and Appearance

The Old-Fashioned Smoke Tree is a rounded deciduous shrub, growing 6 or 8 feet tall, and spreading outwards to about 6 feet across. The branches are thick, and they grow out at broad angles, giving the tree a unique winter profile, almost like a set of antlers. This variety has nearly circular leaves, which are 3½ inches long and almost 3 inches across, with smooth edges and a slightly glossy surface. The new leaves in spring are a deep rich red, with overtones of gray-purple.

It is during the early summer months when this tree blooms. The actual flowers are tiny, greenish and inconspicuous, but they are carried in clusters of long, feather hairs that are a delicious smoky pink color. This creates the ’smoke’ that tops the plant all through June, giving it a completely unique look, like no other plant we know.

In summer the foliage matures to a very unusual blue green, which is the ‘old-fashioned’ thing about this plant. This cool color is very attractive to see during hot weather, and means your plant looks different, instead of being the same every day. As the cooler nights of fall arrive the leaves take on amazing colors of brilliant red, oranges and purples, and this is one of the most colorful fall shrubs available. It is easy to see what a varied picture this great plant paints in your garden through the changing seasons – never a dull moment.

Using the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree in Your Garden

This shrub is perfect to place out on a lawn, where it can grow to its mature size and become an attractive specimen plant. Grow it along the back of your shrub beds, for an ever-changing backdrop to your flowers. Create a screen or informal hedge to enclose your garden or use it to fill the empty corners of your yard. For a continuous screen allow about 4 feet between each plant and they will soon grow together.

Hardiness

The Old Fashioned Smoke Tree is completely hardy in zone 5 and in all warmer zones except for zone 9, so it can be grown across most of the country. Even in zone 4 it will usually survive, with some winter damage that can easily be pruned away, although it will be smaller, and it may not flower every year. Still, you can still enjoy its lovely foliage transformations.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For good growth the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree should be grown in full sun, or in as much sun as possible. Too much shade will make the leaves greener, and the plant less bushy, with weaker growth. This tough shrub prefers drier, well-drained soils, including sandy soils, rough ground and urban soils. Avoid wet places, but water young plants weekly for the first summer – after that they will be very drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although it can easily be pruned as needed in early spring, it is better to leave the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree to grow naturally, if you have allowed enough room. Unpruned plants flower best, and pruning often results in long, awkward stems developing, creating an ungainly looking plant. Remove the spent flower heads for neatness, although that isn’t necessary. Pests and diseases are almost unknown, and this is a very easy and reliable plant to grow, needing virtually no care at all.

History and Origin of the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree

The Smoke Tree, Cotinus coggygria, grows naturally in rocky and wild places, too tough for forests to develop, such as on hillsides and mountain slopes. It grows over a very large area, from Southern Europe eastward all the way to central China. It has been grown in European gardens for centuries, and almost as long in America. There is a rare native species, Cotinus obovata, growing in the south, which was used widely in the past for the dye in its wood. It is conceivable that it is in fact an escaped population of the European tree, derived from early settlements.

In the 1980s Henny Kolster, a nurseryman in Boskoop, The Netherlands, collected some seed from smoke trees he had growing, and raised a batch of seedlings. In 1989 he noticed one plant that had unusually large and round leaves, and unique foliage coloring. He selected it and grew more from stem pieces. Naming it ‘Old Fashioned’, he patented it in America in 2008.

Buying the Old Fashioned Smoke Tree at The Tree Center

We love the classic features of this tree, with its ever-changing leaf colors. It is a reliable and tough addition to your garden, that will amaze you with its versatility and charming smoke effect. These trees are always in high demand from gardeners who need tough plants, so order now, before our supplies run out.

Growing the Winecraft Black® Smoketree

Size and Appearance

The Winecraft Black Smoketree is a rounded deciduous shrub, growing about 6 inches a year, and reaching no more than 4 to 6 feet in height and spread. It is much more compact and adaptable than the common red-leaf smoketree. The branches form a dense, compact structure directly on the ground, making this plant ideal for specimens. The leaves are smooth and oval, about 2 inches long, on long leaf-stalks. In spring the new leaves are a glorious rich purple, making a wonderful show. Many smoketrees with colored leaves turn greenish in summer, but not this one. The opposite is true, because as summer comes the leaves darken and mellow to such a deep purple that they become almost black. Then, in fall they take on fantastic shades of oranges and reds, putting on a great show.

From June to early September this tree is in bloom. At the ends of each branch a large branching flower stalk develops, which is 7 to 8 inches long. The flowers are very tiny, and insignificant. What makes the show are many feathery hairs all over the stalks, which create a floating smoky-purple-pink cloud over the plant – a unique and glorious effect. The dark purple leaves show this off very effectively, and you have a real show-stopper of a specimen.

Using the Winecraft Black® Smoketree in Your Garden

With its compact size this shrub is perfect for use in smaller gardens as a specimen, alone on a lawn or in shrub beds. Use it behind smaller shrubs – it looks amazing with yellow leaves or blooms nearby – or in front of larger ones, depending on your beds. Plant it as a screen along a fence, or beside a path or driveway. It is even small enough to grow for years in planter boxes or a tub, so you can grow it almost anywhere.

Hardiness

Just as tough and reliable as other smoketrees, the Winecraft Black Smoketree is hardy all the way from zone 4 to 8, with no problems. It may also grow in zone 3 but expect some winter damage to the tips of the branches, although it will quickly re-sprout

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will give the deepest leaf colors, but this shrub will also grow well in partial shade, as long as it has a few hours of direct sun a day. It grows very easily in almost any well-drained soil, even poor soils, gravels, and urban conditions. Water regularly while it establishes and grows a little larger, but once well-established it will survive periods of summer drought. Avoid wet and low-lying areas, as too much water is the only ‘enemy’ of this plant. It has no pests or diseases and deer usually leave it alone.

Pruning and Maintenance

If you trim off the flower heads when they shrivel, you have done all the care the Winecraft Black Smoketree needs to stay tidy in your garden. Little or no pruning or trimming is needed. In fact, if you trim you will reduce the spectacular flower display. If you do need to prune after it has grown for a few years, do this in early spring, before new leaves appear.

History and Origin of the Winecraft Black® Smoketree

The smoketree or smokebush, Cotinus coggygria, grows all the way across Europe and Asia, from southern Europe to China. It is always found in wild, open places, away from trees and on poor soil. The wild tree has green leaves, but most of the plants grown in gardens have red or yellow leaves.

To develop trees with good leaf color that fit smaller gardens, Thomas Ranney, a plant breeder at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, bred seedlings for several generations, collecting seed each year and then growing the best plants. In a batch of seedlings he grew in 1999, he found one with amazing dark leaves, good flower display, and a compact habit. After testing it for 8 years, in 2019 the University was granted a patent on this plant, under the name of ‘NCCO1’. Revenue from the patent go to support further plant research and breeding. This shrub has been released by Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. with the trademark name Winecraft Black®, as one of their Proven Winners® plant range.

Buying the Winecraft Black® Smoketree at The Tree Center

This tree brings the smoketree to smaller gardens, with its compact form and reliable flowering. It is also ideal for mass planting in larger gardens. This is the tree gardeners have been waiting for, so they are selling out very fast. Order now, because if you love the smoketree, you will adore this one.

Growing the Purple Supreme Smoketree

Size and Appearance

The Purple Supreme Smoketree is a large, fast-growing deciduous shrub, reaching 8 to 10 feet tall and wide in a few years. If left untrimmed it will probably grow up to 15 feet, and with regular pruning it could be kept about 6 feet tall, but always allow enough room for its growth. The branches have a smooth, tan colored bark which becomes ridged and darker brown on older stems. It forms a multi-stemmed plant, and the spreading manner of the branches creates an interesting winter architecture.

The leaves are almost perfect circles, with a smooth sheen to their surface. They are 3 to 4 inches wide and long, growing largest on the new stems of pruned plants. In spring the new leaves are a bright and stunning burgundy-red, becoming a rich, deep purple in a few weeks. That strong and pure purple color is held all through summer, with none of the browning or greening seen in many other smoketree varieties. In fall the leaves bring more pleasure by turning bright red before they drop to the ground, leaving that interesting winter-twig structure to enjoy. All in all, this plant is one of the most colorful shrubs you can grow.

In late spring and early summer, your tree will flower, most prolifically on unpruned plants. In colder zones older varieties don’t flower much, because they must be pruned in spring to remove branches killed in winter. Since the Purple Supreme Smoketree is more cold-resistant, you will see much better flowering on it. The flowers are truly unique, carried in branching panicles at the ends of the stems. The flowers themselves are insignificant, but the flower structure is covered in long, thread-like hairs, giving it a cloud-like appearance. The color is a wonderful smoky pink, and this cloud floats over the darker foliage for several weeks.

Using the Purple Supreme Smoketree in Your Garden

Plant this tough tree wherever you need a big, bold, splash of color. Use it to fill the blank corners of your yard. Brighten a boring lawn with a glorious specimen – this bush looks especially beautiful standing alone on a lawn, with the purple contrasting with the green. Grow it as a background in large shrub beds or fill the space in the angle between two walls. Wherever you have a big blank, the Purple Supreme Smoketree is there to rescue you.

Hardiness

This variety is much more cold-resistant than other purple-leaf smoketrees. Normally these trees are killed to the snow-line or to the ground in winter in zone 4. They re-sprout, but they are never as large, and they don’t flower so well, or not at all. Bred for toughness and cold hardiness, the Purple Supreme Smoketree doesn’t die back, so it can be left untrimmed to mature and to flower profusely.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant the Purple Supreme Smoketree in full sun, for the best growth and leaf color. Too much shade will give you a shrub with smaller leaves of a more greenish color, and a weaker plant with an open, untidy structure. It will grow readily in all kinds of soils, except for wet, poorly-drained ones. Any well-drained soil, including poor, sandy soils and rough ground, will suit this tree. Water regularly when young, but once established it is very drought resistant.

Pruning and Maintenance

Because it is cold resistant, spring pruning is usually not needed, but if you see any dead branches, remove them completely, or cut them back to a strong bud. If you do want a smaller shrub, you can prune in early spring as hard as you want. Hard pruning will give you strong shoots with big leaves and rich color, but few if any flower clusters. You get to choose what you want when you grow this easy shrub. Pests and diseases are virtually unknown, so sit back and enjoy the beauty of this tree – no complex gardening is required.

History and Origins of the Purple Supreme Smoketree

You can find the Smoketree, Cotinus coggygria, growing wild in rocky and open places, such as on hillsides and mountains, all the way from Southern Europe to central China. Wild plants have green leaves, but they still look dramatic in summer with their clouds of pink blooms. The first purple-leaf forms were discovered in Holland, and several have existed for a century or more. The variety called ‘Purple Supreme’ is a recently created form, selected in Iowa for its hardiness and resistance to cold and strong, enduring purple color. We don’t know the details of its origins, but we do know an outstanding tree when we see one.

Buying the Purple Supreme Smoketree at The Tree Center

We strive to bring you the best varieties, and the Purple Supreme Smoketree has been grown in a tissue culture laboratory to keep it genetically pure, and an exact copy of the original. These easy-care trees are perfect for adding color to your garden, but they are always popular and they always sell fast. Order now – they will soon be gone.

Growing the Young Lady Smoketree

Size and Appearance

The Young Lady Smoketree is a relatively slow-growing deciduous bush that will reach between 4 and 6 feet tall in about 10 years. This doesn’t mean it does other things slowly, because this plant is remarkable for blooming at the earliest age, at the ends of every shoot. This is very different from other smoke trees, which take years to begin to bloom, and can be very erratic even then. It has a dense, twiggy structure, with many shoots, and since each one flowers, that translates into lots of blooms. The round to oval leaves are smooth and slightly glossy, with long leaf stalks. They are about 3 inches long, and a bluish-green color. Besides blooming, this bush also puts on a spectacular fall show, especially in cooler zones and in full sun, with every leaf showing a kaleidoscope of colors, from yellow to orange and stunning reds.

By early June your bush will be starting to bloom. The flowers themselves are minute, without petals, but they are carried in big multi-branching panicles up to 8 inches long, which are covered all over with long, slender hairs of delicious pink to mauve shades. The effect is of a cloud of pink smoke floating over the entire plant, or, as others have said, like a freshly-groomed pink poodle standing in your garden. The blooms are long lasting, and new ones keep coming, so your bush will bloom until the end of August. It helps to trim off flowering clusters as soon as the hairs dry and fade, to keep new blooms coming.

Using the Young Lady Smoketree in Your Garden

Regular smoketrees are often grown as striking specimens on a lawn, but their size makes that hard in a smaller garden. Now, with the Young Lady Smoketree, you can have that even in a small area, or you could plant a group of three, spaced 3 feet apart in a triangle, to achieve a larger group on a bigger lawn. Grow this beautiful shrub in your beds as well, where it makes a wonderful specimen, adding its unique look to your other plant arrangements. It would look great planted with dark-red shrubs behind it, or with pink flowers like hydrangea or peonies. It is also small enough to use in planter boxes and tubs, where it would be wonderful for years on a terrace, or beside your front door. Plant it out in the garden when it becomes too large.

Hardiness

Almost everywhere, from zone 4 to zone 8, the Young Lady Smoketree is hardy and tough, needing nothing special to perform beautifully.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant the Young Lady Smoketree in full sun or perhaps in a little partial shade. Avoid long periods of shade or dark places, which will reduce growth and blooming. It also needs plenty of sun to color well in fall. This plant grows well in all well-drained soils, including poor, more infertile ones, but it will benefit from a rich mulch, like garden compost, adding over the root system in spring, to provide nourishment and conserve moisture. Avoid wet soils, and good drainage is important, so don’t plant in a low-lying area. We recommend some of our larger, robust smoketrees for drier, tough, exposed sites, where they will thrive. Please consult our current catalogue.

Pruning and Maintenance

The only care needed is to remove flower shoots as they dry and shrivel. Cut them just above the first full-sized leaf and new shoots will soon emerge, often carrying another flower cluster. No other pruning or trimming is needed but remove any very weak or dead stems in early spring. Too much trimming may reduce flowering. This plant is ignored by deer and it has no significant pests or diseases.

History and Origin of the Young Lady Smoketree

The Young Lady Smoketree is a selected form of the common smoketree, Cotinus coggygria. Found across an enormous area from southern Europe through central Asia, and into China, it grows in rocky places where forest trees can’t grow, which shows us how tough and hardy this unique plant is.

The variety called ‘Young Lady’ was created by Hendrik Kolster, a nurseryman in Boskoop, the Netherlands. This area is a center for plant production and breeding, and the source of many new plants. ‘Young Lady’ received European Plant Breeder’s Rights in 1997, and it was first introduced into the USA in 2001. In 2012 it received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society of the UK, proof of its value in every garden.

Buying the Young Lady Smoketree at The Tree Center

It is always a great feeling to be able to offer our customers the best, and when it comes to a smoketree for smaller gardens, this one is it. You will be amazed by the continuous blooming of this tree, so order right away – the sooner it comes the longer you can enjoy it.

Growing Golden Spirit Smoketrees

The Golden Spirit Smoketree is a round, full, deciduous shrub that if untrimmed will grow to between 8 and 15 feet tall and wide, depending on conditions, pruning, and age. That means one beautiful plant fills a lot of space, making it ideal for larger gardens and big beds. With simple trimming, it can be kept a lot smaller, so this is, without doubt, a plant for all gardens. It has branches right to the ground, and it makes a great specimen on a large lawn, or at the back of larger shrub beds. It is the perfect way to fill those awkward corners of your yard, or if planted as a screen it makes a striking informal hedge, blocking unsightly views and noise for all the outdoor months. In smaller beds, it can be cut right to the ground each spring, and it will send up long shoots to about 6 feet, with extra-large leaves on them. For a spectacular look, combine the Golden Spirit Smoketree with the Royal Purple Smoketree – purple and gold – it’s truly stunning.

The leaves are about 3 inches across, and round to oval, densely clustered all along the new stems, which push out fast. Those new spring leaves are bright, golden yellow – what better way to start the season? The color holds all through summer. If some partial shade strikes it, or in cloudy regions, they may develop some lime-green tones, which are also beautiful, and a very fashionable garden color too. 

On older, untrimmed plants, flowers develop in spring. These are yellow and insignificant, in clusters about 6 or 8 inches long, at the ends of the branches. You might not even notice the flowers, but you will notice, by early to mid-summer, the billowing hairs that develop in the flower clusters as the flowers themselves fade. As summer arrives these turn dusky pink to purple-pink, creating a smoke-like haze over the top of the plant, which lasts throughout the summer months. It is this that gives the smoketree its name, and it is a very apt description of this beautiful effect. You may notice a few hard seeds hidden away inside the smoky puffs. By fall the smoke will be mostly gone, just in time for the leaves to turn burgundy, scarlet and amber-yellow, making a spectacular display that adds to the glory of fall. 

Planting and Initial Care

Beautiful, but also easy to grow, the Golden Spirit Smoketree should be planted in full sun for the best foliage color. It enjoys poor soil – a bonus – but it also grows well in just about any kind of soil, from rich, moist soils to dry, shallow and rocky ones. It is drought-resistant, and only in very dry circumstances will it suffer at all, showing some scorching or burning of the leaves, and reduced growth. This plant is normally free of any serious pests or diseases. The only thing that can cause disease is growing it on permanently wet soil, which it does not enjoy. If you want to reduce the size of your bush, prune as much as needed, in early spring, before new growth appears. Cut right to the ground, or remove several branches, and shorten back the others as needed. This tough plant will come back from just about anything. For screens, plant at 6-foot intervals, and trim as needed, at any time. Pruned plants will usually not flower for several years.

History and Origins of Golden Spirit Smoketrees

The Golden Spirit Smoketree is a selected form of the common smoketree, Cotinus coggygria. This plant is found in open, rocky places too inhospitable for forest trees, all across central Asia, from southern Europe right into China. Across this vast range, it makes a spectacular display on the hillsides when those smoky clusters crown each plant. The wild plant has green leaves, but it is rarely grown today in gardens.  In 1989, at a nursery in the Boskoop region of The Netherlands, Adriana Christina Bastiana Sanders-van Harn was growing some seedling plants of the smoketree, from a batch of seed collected from several trees. Boskoop is the center of the Dutch nursery industry and the source of many of our garden plants. Ms. Sanders-van Harn noticed one seedling that was very different, with amazing golden leaves. She grew it larger, and then propagated it by rooting stem pieces. She called her new plant ‘Ancot’. After several years of testing, she gained Plant Breeders rights in Europe and in 2002 a US Plant Patent here in America. Our plants are grown under license, and they are genetically-identical copies from stem pieces of that original plant. We know that this plant will be a hit with our clients, so our stock will run out fast. Order now and enjoy great color in your garden for no effort.

This hardy, easy to grow tree is perfect for background planting, since it is both colorful for months and so easy to grow you can forget about it. It brings vibrant color, so if you have a garden of dull plants, but don’t want extra work, this bush is the perfect choice. It provides vibrant, un-fading foliage color from spring to fall, and in summer a spectacular and unique display of fluffy seed-heads that create a cloud of misty pink haze over the bush.

Growing Royal Purple Smoke Trees

The Royal Purple Smoketree grows into a rounded bush upwards of 10 feet tall and at least as wide. Left to grow naturally it is a great way to fill a corner or an empty space in the garden. It can also be pruned to keep it smaller if needed, and also grown into a striking informal purple-leaved hedge or screen. The rounded leaves are 3 inches across, or even larger in pruned plants. In spring they emerge a brilliant purple-red color, and while some plants with colored leaves in spring simply turn dark green in summer, this does not happen with this bush.

Over summer the leaves turn a rich plum purple, and hold that color right through fall too. In early spring, tall clusters of tiny flowers appear, but these are not very significant or exciting. What happens next certainly is. As the flowers fade, long, feathery hairs develop among the clusters, eventually turning each flower cluster into a gossamer cloud of smoky pink to purplish pink. These balls of ‘smoke’ are about 8 inches across, and they crown the bush with a dramatic and beautiful haze, lasting well into the summer months.

Planting Location

Choose a sunny location for your Royal Purple Smoketree, and the good news is that it will grow in almost any soil that is well-drained. It even grows better in poor soil than it does in rich, well-watered areas, so it literally thrives on neglect. The perfect plant for the busy gardener who wants color and interest, but cannot invest the time into plants needing more care. If you have the room for a larger bush, this is literally a ‘plant it and forget it’ essential for every garden.

Hardiness

It has no significant pests or diseases, and it is normally resistant to deer too. It will grow where temperatures plunge to minus 30 and yet it thrives in the South and everywhere except Florida, southern Texas, California and warmer parts of New Mexico. Everywhere else, this has to be one of the best choices you can make for beauty and ease of care.

Care and Maintenance

During the first growing season water your new bush regularly, to encourage a deep root system, but after that it will survive ordinary drought and will need no attention at all to thrive. If you want to control the height or spread, prune as needed in late winter or early spring. Heavy pruning will reduce flowering, but the foliage will be big, bold and beautiful, and that is the most constant and desirable feature of this plant.

History and Origins of the Royal Purple Smoke Tree

The Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria) is a native bush across a vast area from southern Europe to central China. It grows in open, rocky places where its smoky heads create a dramatic effect in the wilderness. The wild tree has green leaves, but in the nursery region of Boskoop, the Netherlands, at a grower called Lombarts Nursery, a plant with purple leaves was discovered. It quickly became popular and the first plants were introduced into the U.S.A. in 1953. It was given the name ‘Royal Purple’. This plant cannot be grown from seed, so avoid cheaper plants simply called smoketrees, which will not have the dramatic foliage color of this remarkable plant.

Buying Royal Purple Smoke Trees

We have a good supply of top-quality plants available, but such a garden staple is always in high demand with gardeners developing and improving their gardens without adding extra work. This means that supplies can quickly be reduced, so now is the time to order your trees, or you may lose out on this opportunity to brighten your garden for months on end. We also invite you to check out similar varieties, including the Velvet Cloak Smoke Tree and the Purple Grace Smoke Tree.

Two different Smoke Tree species are found throughout the northern hemisphere, including one native to the USA, but Cotinus coggygria has a natural range that sweeps from southern Europe all the way across to central China. It’s a tree that thrives in rough, infertile ground and it can often be seen in mountain areas. However, it’s now become popular among gardeners for its distinctive appearance, and can be found throughout the world’s temperate zones. It will also hybridize with the American species, but the beautiful Velvet Cloak variety is a pure Eurasian Smoke Tree.

Growing Velvet Cloak Smoke Trees

Velvet Cloak is a small tree that reaches a height of between 10 and 15 feet when cultivated. It has a spreading form and the width can also be up to 15 feet. This tree tends to have quite a loose structure which gives it an open, airy appearance – it can be grown even in a quite small garden without overwhelming its surroundings. From spring its branches are covered in mid-sized leaves up to three inches long; these have an ovate appearance and an attractive dark blue-green color, often with a hint of red, making it already a very handsome plant.

Not long after the leaves appear the tree flowers, although this isn’t much of an event – the flowers, which are a pale yellowish color, are small and inconspicuous. They’re also very numerous, though, and clustered in spikes six to eight inches long at the ends of the branches. Each flower grows at the end of its own long, fine stalk, and later in the year these stalks will create the tree’s real display. As summer warms up and the dead flowers fall away the stalks turn a smoky pink that slowly darkens with shades of purple; the effect is to make the tree look as if it’s surrounded by a light haze of smoke, and it’s truly gorgeous. Later, in fall, the leaves turn autumnal; in the right conditions the Smoke Tree can put on a fine show of yellow, orange and reddish-purple foliage before the leaves finally succumb to winter.

Hardiness

The Velvet Cloak Smoke Tree can be successfully grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 8, meaning it should do well anywhere apart from the coldest northern regions and the more arid parts of the South. If you’re in the large area where it grows and you’d like one, the first thing to do is find a spot that gets full sunlight – this is not a shade-loving tree and won’t look its best without adequate light. It prefers moist, medium soil that’s well drained, but it’s pretty tolerant and can settle in well in a rougher patch that other plants shun. A rocky, infertile patch is fine too. The one thing it won’t cope with is waterlogged soil.

Care and Maintenance

Maintenance of the Velvet Cloak is easy. It doesn’t require pruning unless you prefer to reshape it, but it’s tolerant of it and in fact can be pruned to help with its growth. If you’re looking for foliage, you can cut it back hard in early spring to encourage an explosion of new growth with larger than normal leaves. Alternatively, giving it a light trim will boost the production of flowers – and, later, its signature smoky effect. Apart from that it will more or less look after itself; there are no major disease or pest problems to worry about, although occasionally it can suffer from rust, leaf spot or verticillium wilt. An occasional check should identify any of these problems before they become incurable.

Adding Velvet Cloak Smoke Trees to Your Garden

Because of its size, hardiness and tolerance of pruning, the Velvet Cloak is an exceptionally versatile tree. Its appearance makes it ideal as a centerpiece, especially in a naturalized garden where its open spread and distinctive looks are perfectly suited. As an accent plant it will also attract a lot of attention thanks to the smoke effect, which usually lasts all summer and into early fall. It can also be used as a rustic-style hedge; plant a line of them and prune them hard, and you can shape them into a dense hedge that in full summer plumage will act as a very effective privacy screen for your property. There are many trees you can use to enhance your garden, but the Smoke Tree gives you plenty of reasons to choose it and the Velvet Cloak is one of the best in our opinion. You may also want to consider some similar varieties of this popular plant, like the Royal Purple Smoke Tree or the Grace Purple Smoke Tree.

Various species of Smoke Tree can be found throughout the northern hemisphere, almost anywhere the climate is temperate. Cotinus coggygria is a Eurasian species that occurs from southern Europe all the way through to China, while Cotinus obovatus is native to the southeastern USA. Luckily for gardeners, these species can be easily crossed and this has resulted in many splendid varieties. If you’re looking for a particularly impressive Smoke Tree, the “Grace” cultivar is one you definitely need to consider. It incorporates the form of the Eurasian species with the larger size and fall colors of the American one to create a truly spectacular tree.

Growing Grace Purple Smoke Trees

The Grace variety grows to a height of between 10 and 15 feet when fully mature and has a loose, spreading form; it can easily reach a width of 15 to 20 feet. It’s not the size it’s most notable for; it’s the foliage. When new leaves appear in spring they’re a bright red color, which gradually turns to a richer, darker color as the weather warms. The leaves themselves have a delicate appearance, ovoid and up to three inches long. From May to July the gorgeous leaves are joined by a profuse display of yellow flowers which turn to puffy, deep pink plumes as they mature. The final treat it has in store becomes obvious in fall as the leaves change color one last time, brightening your garden with a stunning explosion of orange, gold, purple and red.

Uses in Your Garden

This beautiful tree is highly versatile and has many uses for the gardener. Its appearance makes it perfect as an accent plant, and thanks to its size and ability to handle hard pruning it can also be turned into a very attractive hedge or screen. Its foliage and late flowering make it an extremely good way to maintain color in your garden through the period between spring blooms and the glory of fall. Between the flowers themselves and the plumes – which appear like smoke from a distance, giving the tree its name – it will keep things bright for two months or more while other shrubs drowse in the heat.

Hardiness

Grace is very much a temperate tree and should do well almost anywhere in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. That makes it suitable for most of the central USA with the exception of the coldest northern states and the drier parts of the South. It’s quite tolerant of soil types as long as it’s well drained and ideally a medium weight; waterlogged clay isn’t its favorite environment, although well drained clay should be fine. One useful feature is that it’s tolerant of infertile, rocky soil, so if there’s a rough patch where nothing else seems to thrive a Smoke Tree could do pretty well, as long as it’s not too wet. However the tree doesn’t like the shade much, and while it can survive it you’ll see much more impressive flowers and colors if you plant it in full sunlight.

Care and Maintenance

There are no serious insect or disease problems with this variety. Keep an eye out for leaf spot and rust, and beware of verticillium wilt – this usually shows up, unsurprisingly, as wilting of stems and leaves. Apart from that it’s fairly hardy. Because it tends to spread, you may want to do some pruning to maintain its shape or stop it reaching out too far; if this is necessary aim to do it in early spring, before new growth starts to appear; one benefit of this is that it will induce more vigorous regrowth with larger than normal leaves. However, excessive pruning, while good for foliage, is less so for the flowers; if you want to maintain the tree’s bloom – and we really think you should – keep pruning a slight as possible.

Adding Grace Purple Smoke Trees to Your Garden

The Grace Smoke Tree does need some maintenance, especially concerning drainage, but considering what it delivers in return it’s not a lot to ask. If you’re looking for a bright, striking accent tree this variety is ideal; it’s certainly guaranteed to turn heads, particularly in summer. Few other small trees provide such a long-lasting display so if you’re looking for a garden that’s eye-catching for as much of the year as possible, Grace almost certainly can find a good home in it. You may also want to consider planting other similar varieties, such as the Royal Purple Smoke Tree or the Velvet Cloak Smoke Tree.