Cotinus coggygria, smoke tree, smoke bush
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Deciduous Shrubs

Cotinus coggygria

smoke tree, smoke bush

Anacardiaceae

Southern Europe east through central Asia to northern China

At a Glance

TypeShrub
HabitUpright
FoliageDeciduous
Height10-15 feet (3-4.5 m)
Width10-15 feet (3-4.5 m)
Maturity6 years

Growing Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones

4 - 9
Zone 4
Zone 5
Zone 6
Zone 7
Zone 8
Zone 9
These zones indicate the coldest temperatures this plant can typically survive.
Frost Tolerancehardy

Key Features

Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Butterflies
Deer Resistant
Drought Tolerant
Maintenancelow

Overview

Cotinus coggygria (smoke tree, smoke bush) is a large deciduous shrub or small tree native to southern Europe and central Asia, reaching 10–15 feet (3–4.5 m) tall and 10–15 feet (3–4.5 m) wide in a rounded, multi-stemmed form. It is grown for two outstanding seasonal features: an extraordinary mid-summer 'smoke' display and exceptional fall color. The smoke effect — one of the most distinctive of any ornamental woody plant — is produced not by the flowers themselves, which are tiny and inconspicuous, but by the elongated, hairy, pinkish-beige to buff flower pedicels (stalks) that persist and expand after the tiny flowers pass in June through July. By July through September, these hairy stalks form billowing, cloud-like plumes up to 12 inches (30 cm) across that cover the plant in an airy, smoke-like haze of buff, pinkish, or gray-beige. Fall color is outstanding: leaves turn yellow, orange, red, and purple simultaneously — often multiple colors on one leaf — making the plant one of the finest for fall interest. The species has blue-green to green rounded leaves; the smoke plumes are buff to pinkish-beige. Counterintuitively, the best smoke display and fall color are produced on poor, dry, infertile, well-drained soil — rich, moist, fertile conditions produce lush foliage growth but sparse smoke and muted fall color. Great Plant Picks endorsed.

Native Range

Native from southern Europe (southern France east through the Balkans) across central Asia to northern China, growing in hot, dry, rocky hillsides, open woodland, and scrub on calcareous soils.

Suggested Uses

An outstanding specimen shrub for hot, dry, open garden positions where its cultural requirements — poor soil, full sun, excellent drainage — are met. Great Plant Picks endorsed for PNW gardens. The July through September smoke plume display is genuinely unique among hardy ornamentals, and the fall color in October rivals the best of any deciduous shrub. Excellent for dry, south-facing slopes, gravel gardens, Mediterranean-style plantings, and hot dry borders. Combines beautifully with ornamental grasses, lavenders, rosemary, and other drought-tolerant plants that share its cultural needs. Also effective as a small multi-stemmed tree if lower stems are gradually removed.

How to Identify

Identified in summer by the distinctive smoke-like plumes of hairy, elongated, buff to pinkish-beige flower pedicels (stalks) that cover the plant in July through September — no other commonly grown hardy shrub produces this effect. Leaves are rounded to obovate, 1.5–3 inches (4–8 cm) long, blue-green to green, with a faintly resinous scent when crushed. Alternate leaf arrangement. In fall, outstanding multi-toned yellow, orange, red, and purple foliage. Lenticels on stems are prominent. Distinguished from the purple-leaved Purpureus Group by green (not purple) summer foliage and buff (not pinkish-purple) smoke plumes.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height10' - 15'
Width/Spread10' - 15'

Reaches mature size in approximately 6 years

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow
white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

yellow
orange
red
purple

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks
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SummerFall
Tiny inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear in June through July in loose panicles — these are not the ornamental feature. The hairy, elongated flower pedicels expand and persist from July through September, forming billowing smoke-like plumes 8–12 inches (20–30 cm) across in pinkish-beige to buff tones. The plume display is most spectacular from late July through August. Fall color in October is outstanding: yellow, orange, red, and purple, often on the same plant simultaneously.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

buff to pinkish-beige (hairy pedicels forming smoke plumes); tiny greenish-yellow true flowers

Foliage Description

blue-green to green in summer; yellow, orange, red, and purple in fall

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

Full Sun
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)
357912
Soil Types
loamchalksandrocky
Drainage
well drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

5-8 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

The counterintuitive key to maximum smoke display and fall color: plant in poor, dry, well-drained, infertile soil and do not fertilize. Rich, moist, well-fertilized conditions produce abundant foliage growth at the expense of smoke plumes and fall color — exactly the opposite of most ornamentals. Full sun is essential for both the smoke effect and fall color. Excellent drought tolerance once established. Tolerates chalk, limestone, and alkaline conditions. The main PNW challenge is the cool, moist maritime climate of the west side: inland sites with hotter, drier summers (e.g., east of the Cascades, Willamette Valley inland sites) produce better displays than cool, overcast coastal gardens. Susceptible to Verticillium wilt — avoid planting where solanaceous crops or other wilt-susceptible plants have failed.

Pruning

Pruning style determines what you get. For maximum smoke display: prune minimally or not at all — smoke plumes form on second-year and older wood. For maximum foliage impact (and no smoke): hard coppice in late winter (February through March) to 12–18 inches (30–45 cm) — this produces vigorous new stems with bold, large leaves but eliminates smoke plumes that season. A middle approach: lightly thin and shape after the smoke display fades in fall, removing one-third of the oldest stems to balance foliage vigor and smoke production. Do not hard-prune every year if smoke is the goal.

Pruning Schedule

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early spring

Maintenance Level

low

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Toxic to pets