Royal Purple Smoke Smokebush

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’

Plant Details

USDA Cold Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b Find Your Zone

Shrub Type: Deciduous Flowering Shrub or Tree

Height at Maturity: 10-15′

Width at Maturity: 15-18′

Spacing: 8′ for solid hedges; 16 feet for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Broad, Upright

Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate

Flower Color: Pinkish-Purple

Flower Size: 8-10″ panicles

Flowering Period: Spring through Summer

Flower Type: Single flowers in clusters

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Reddish-Purple to Deep Purple in Summer

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: No

Sun Needs: Full to Mostly Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay(amended), Loam, Sandy(amended), Silty

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist to Dry when established

Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0 (Acid to Moderately Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Drought, Insect

Description

The Royal Purple Smoke Tree is a magnificent large shrub or small tree that gets its name from the unique, pinkish-purple smoke-like flower “puffs” that cover the tree in abundance throughout the summer. But it’s the foliage that distinguishes ‘Royal Purple’ from other varieties in the genus. Ovate to obovate Eucalyptus-like leaves to 3 inches long emerge a rich maroon red in spring, gradually maturing to deep purplish-red to purplish-black in summer. The flowers contrast beautifully against the dark leaves that hold their color well throughout the season turning to a striking scarlet in fall.

Please Note: Unless otherwise noted, our Royal Purple Smoke Trees are usually multi-trunk shrubs. This allows our customers to choose to grow them naturally as a shrub or to lower branches over time to form an attractive small tree.

Landscape & Garden Uses

A slow grower with a broad and rounded form, the Royal Purple Smoke Tree will eventually top out at 15 feet, making it a great choice for a number of planting options throughout the landscape or garden. It can be grown as a large shrub or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive, single- or multi-trunk small tree. Because it’s so unique, we usually recommend planting it as a stand-alone specimen in the landscape, as we do with Japanese Maples. That said, small groupings are nice as well, or plant one on both sides to accentuate or frame an entryway or structure. Ideal for use in purple-themed color gardens and Xeriscaping (low water need landscapes)

Suggested Spacing: 8 feet apart for solid hedges; 16 feet for space between plants

Growing Preferences

The Royal Purple Smoke Tree is very easy to grow in a moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full sun to mostly sun for best foliage color and flowering. Good drought tolerance when established. Constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. Exceptionally low maintenance with little to no pruning necessary when grown as a shrub. That said, with some careful pruning you can train this shrub to form an attractive, single- or multi-trunk tree.

Plant Long & Prosper!

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This was a Mother’s Day gift and my mom was delighted. The lady on the phone was super helpful with me selecting the smoke tree/bush, it arrived earlier than I expected, was beautifully packed and in tact and is now thriving in the ground. Success! I will absolutely purchase from them again.————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope she enjoys it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Every garden needs a smoke bush. They leaf out extremely early in the year. With the very first leaf it is so dark purple that it’s almost black. The bush is beautiful, easy to grow, easy to prune if you choose to, and literally maintenance free. As I said a must have.—————————————————————-Thanks for the awesome review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I wish there was a way to prevent plants from having to sit on a truck over a weekend when ordering. I fretted over this plant because that is what happened and we had a drop into freezing temps. However, this healthy plant was well packaged and not only survived but is now flourishing. Beautiful specimen, I’ve found that you can’t beat the quality of Wilson plants!.—————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG