Chasing Smoke: The Quest to Find an Uncommon Plant

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What started as a casual endeavor to find an exquisite and uncommon plant has recently morphed into somewhat of an obsession for me. And for good reason. Smoketree has long been overlooked as a notable addition to our landscapes, to the point that it is nearly impossible to find it in any retail garden center from here to Raleigh (trust me, I’ve called most of them). But with graceful, wispy puffs of ‘smoke’ that adorn the ends of its branches in late spring, the excellent fall color, and its ability to tolerate most any soil type, this little-known, and rarely seen plant has big potential for our mountain landscapes.

What is Smoketree?

Smoketree, also known as smokebush, is great for anyone looking for a low-maintenance and attractive solution for a particularly troublesome area in their home landscape. The native species of smoketree, Cotinus obovatus, is endemic to rocky, well-drained soils of sand, loam or clay of the southcentral portion of the U.S. from Texas to Alabama, and north to Missouri. Another species, Cotinus coggygria, is native to the Mediterranean and is the most commonly available form of this plant, of which there are several cultivars.

In general, smoketree is a small tree or large shrub that reaches 15-20 feet high with about the same spread. Both the native and non-native species are highly adaptable to a range of soil conditions, but prefer well-drained to average soils in full sun. If you have part shade or clayey soils, smoketree is adaptable; however, it should be noted that if given rich soils and/or too much shade, it will become leggy and not produce many flowers, which is arguably the defining characteristic of this plant. In late spring, 6-10-inch flower clusters adorn the ends of the branches and are covered by fine, billowy hairs that turn a smoky pink to purplish-pink later in the summer.

Growing Smoketree

Conditions for successful planting of this tree are clear: well-drained soils with average to low fertility. Smoketree is also adaptable to a large range of pH conditions, growing in mildly acidic to slightly alkaline soils. Even if you have poor drainage on your property, amending with a coarser compost or mulch can help improve drainage and alleviate soil compaction. After the first year of growth, you can begin to prune smoketree into a tree form or as a shrub. If pruning as a shrub, you can cut back hard every 3-4 years to produce a denser, more compact plant.

Available cultivars.

Since this can be a hard-to-find plant in our area, you may be hard-pressed to find a certain smoketree cultivar; however, there are a number out there that would be well worth the search. The native straight species is a green-leaf selection that turns a variety of yellows, oranges, and reds in the fall. Try cultivars like ‘Grace’ and ‘Red Leaf’ for brilliant red color in the fall.

Image of a smoketree

An old, very large smoketree in England. Talk about a fall showstopper. Photo credit: David Hawgood

The non-native cultivars of smoketree are relatively more abundant. If you want to stick with green-leaf types, look for ‘Daydream’ that has pink flower clusters, or ‘Pink Champagne’ that has green leaves with a tinge of burgundy around the margin. If you are looking for darker-leaved cultivars, try ‘Royal Purple’ or ‘Nordine’, a cultivar with bronze-red leaves with dark purple flowers.

Problems with Smoketree

Smoketree is rated for USDA Planting zones 5B through 8B, but several experts I have spoken with suggest that this is not a particularly long-lived species, thriving maybe for 20 or so years before there is noticeable decline. The good news, however, is that a vigorous rejuvenation of an established plant will bring it back to life, prolonging its lifespan even further.

As an extension agent, I often find myself toeing the line between recommending those plants that are ‘tried and true’ and then looking outside the box and encouraging folks to experiment with something new and interesting. In this case, I think smoketree is worth the search and has a lot of potential to thrive and add interest to the more ‘traditional’ mountain landscape.

Learn More!

To learn more about smoketree, or if you have other gardening-related questions, visit our website where you can post your questions via the ‘Ask an Expert’ link, or find your local Extension office. You can also visit the NC State Plants Database to find information about thousands of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and more!