Common Smoketree Cotinus coggygria

Smoketree, or smokebush, is an upright spreading deciduous shrub or small tree in the Anacardiaceae (cashew or poison ivy) family. It will provide a wide range of garden interest throughout the season.

The smoky pink flowers are showy, wispy, and airy and appear in mid-summer. They consist of many filaments which make up a cloud of color on the current season's growth.  Fall foliage is reddish-purple and the crushed leaves smell like a radish. 

While it prefers to be planted in well-drained soil in the full sun it is adaptable to wide range of soil pH. The purple-leaved varieties planted in the shade may have its leaves revert to green.  This plant has a fibrous root system which is easy to transplant, and once established, is drought tolerant.  Prune it back in late winter 6 to 8 inches above the ground to rejuvenate its shape.  This will sacrifice any flowering for that year however.  To preserve the flowers leave 1/3 of the old stems on the plant.

In the garden, this plant is best used as a large accent plant, single specimen, in masses, or planted in a row as an informal hedge. Smokebush has many cultivars, but the flowers are often sacrificed for the interesting foliage color or bright orange or yellow fall leaf color. 

Quick ID Hints:

• Shrub with alternate, simple, purplish leaves with parallel veins
• Inflorescence is panicles of smoky pink flowers
• Leaves green or reddish-purple

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Although typically considered pest and disease-free, it has some susceptibility to rust, leaf spot, and verticillium wilt.  This plant is in the same family as poison ivy and contact with the resinous sap may cause contact dermatitis, especially to those sensitive to poison ivy.

VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.