Smoke Tree – Cotinus coggygria

July 30, 2009
Stephanie Fleming
Shrubs and Trees
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‘Royal Purple’ Smoke Tree is the large shrub in the background. Photo by Larry Hurley

‘Grace’ & ‘Golden Spirit’

‘Grace’– a real gem. Attractive new leaves emerge an intense wine-red and mature to dusky-reddish-blue. It’s bright orange-red fall color is unmatched in the plant world. Masses of extremely large, deep pink panicles cover this beauty in early summer. Use as a large shrub, or train as a small tree.

‘Golden Spirit’– A yellow-leaved smoke bush from the Netherlands. The golden yellow leaves transform to shades of coral, orange, and red in the Autumn. The leaves do not scorch in direct sunlight. Mature height is about 10 feet.

Stephanie Fleming

Stephanie Fleming was raised at Behnke’s Nurseries in Beltsville. Her Mom, Sonja, was one of Albert & Rose Behnke’s four children. She was weeding from the moment she could walk and hiding as soon as she was old enough to run, so many weeds, so little time. Although she quickly learned how to pull out a perennial and get taken off of weed pulling duty.