Smokebush, Royal Purple Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' Height: 15 feet Spread: 12 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 5a Other Names: Smoketree Description: One of the most popular accent plants featuring deep maroon foliage all summer long, turning to red in fall; flowers and reddish inflorescences produce a fuzzy, smoky appearance throughout summer, hence the name. Can be grown as a bush or small tree. Ornamental Features Smokebush, Royal Purple features airy panicles of yellow flowers with fuchsia stalks at the ends of the branches from early to late summer. It has attractive deep purple deciduous foliage. The round leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding brick red in the fall. Landscape Attributes Smokebush, Royal Purple is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics. Smokebush, Royal Purple is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Smokebush, Royal Purple will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
