Wednesday, November 04, 2020

Plant Profile: Smokebush

Smokebush is a shrub with many ornamental qualities. It has beautiful foliage and the airy seed-heads look like puffs of smoke surrounding the bush.

Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) is also known as Rhus cotinus, the European smoketree, and Venetian sumach. It is a member of the cashew family. There is an American native version as well (C. obovatus).

It needs full sun to put on a real “smoke show,” but it can tolerate shade conditions.  It is a tough plant and needs little care. It is hardy from zones 5 to 8. It can reach up to 6 feet high and wide.

Use caution when mowing or working around a Smokebush, as the bark is thin and easily damaged by weed whackers or other garden equipment. It is deer- and rabbit-resistant.

Popular cultivars available include ‘Winecraft Gold’, with bright golden foliage, and ‘Winecraft Black’, which has dramatic dark foliage and a dwarf habit. Look in garden centers starting in 2021 for a new introduction called ‘The Velvet Fog’ from the Proven Winners brand. It has bright pink plumes with blue-green foliage.

Smokebush makes a good accent plant in the landscape or it can be grown in a grouping to form a hedge. It is deciduous and drops its leaves in late fall.

It can be trained and pruned to grow as a tree or a shrub. To prune a Smoketree, wait until late winter or early spring and selectively remove entire branches to attain the shape you like.

Smokebush - You Can Grow That!

 

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine.

Visuals by Nicole Noechel
Audio by Kathy Jentz

 

Additional footage provided by Spring Meadow Nursery

 

 If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

 FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC on Spotify, Apple, etc.

PIN THIS FOR LATER!



No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured Post

Gifts for Gardeners ~ Gardening Gifts ~ Cool Gardening Gift Ideas

Today is Amazon Prime Day, so I thought I'd again share the garden products I use almost every day. These are the tried-and-true w...