Smokebush
Cotinus coggygria
Also listed as Rhus cotinus, Cotinus cotinus
Also known as Smoketree, European Smoketree, Eurasian Smoketree
Climate Match for your location
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Smokebush is a deciduous shrub prized for its feathery, smoke-like flower panicles in summer and stunning fall foliage ranging from yellow to orange to deep red. It thrives in full sun and is drought-tolerant once established, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Why grow it
Smokebush offers ornamental interest across two seasons where many deciduous shrubs excel in only one. Its feathery inflorescences are distinctive among landscape shrubs, and unlike many flowering species, it tolerates poor, infertile soils and established drought conditions without supplemental watering. The cultivar selection (particularly purple-leaved varieties) provides additional design flexibility compared to closely related species like Rhus typhina.
Watch out for
Plants can take several years to develop the robust panicles characteristic of mature specimens, so patience is needed in young plantings. Smokebush responds vigorously to hard pruning, but it may skip flowering in the year after severe cutting, so timing of maintenance matters for consistent ornamental display.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
Native Range
Southern Europe to central China
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Notable Cultivars
Royal Purple and Grace feature deep burgundy foliage that darkens with age; Golden Spirit produces bright chartreuse to lime-green leaves that turn orange-red in fall. All cultivars produce the characteristic feathery flower plumes.
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Smokebush is a deciduous shrub prized for its feathery, smoke-like flower panicles in summer and stunning fall foliage ranging from yellow to orange to deep red. It thrives in full sun and is drought-tolerant once established, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Smokebush grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Smokebush offers ornamental interest across two seasons where many deciduous shrubs excel in only one. Its feathery inflorescences are distinctive among landscape shrubs, and unlike many flowering species, it tolerates poor, infertile soils and established drought conditions without supplemental watering. The cultivar selection (particularly purple-leaved varieties) provides additional design flexibility compared to closely related species like Rhus typhina.
Watch out for
Plants can take several years to develop the robust panicles characteristic of mature specimens, so patience is needed in young plantings. Smokebush responds vigorously to hard pruning, but it may skip flowering in the year after severe cutting, so timing of maintenance matters for consistent ornamental display.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Anacardiaceae
Native Range
Southern Europe to central China
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar shrubs you might consider:
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Companion Planting
Plants well with
Notable Cultivars
Royal Purple and Grace feature deep burgundy foliage that darkens with age; Golden Spirit produces bright chartreuse to lime-green leaves that turn orange-red in fall. All cultivars produce the characteristic feathery flower plumes.