The illustrated growing guide
Smokebush
Cotinus coggygria
Family Anacardiaceae
Est. zones 4-8
A shrub grown for drama — either the ethereal pink 'smoke' of its summer flower plumes, or (if you cut it to the ground each spring) a fountain of huge, glowing purple or gold leaves. You pick the show with your pruners. Drought-tough and happiest in lean soil and full sun, which intensifies the color. Brilliant fall tones, too.
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts butterfliesI
Overview
Will smokebush suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what smokebush actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Smokebush at a glance
Common smokebush problems
- Almost none
- Verticillium Wilt (occasional)
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow smokebush: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate smokebush
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The year
What smokebush asks for, month by month.
The smokebush year, month by month
BloomPruneWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Prune — shape it now — cuts heal cleanly and structure is visible.
The smokebush year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb pruning
- Mar pruning
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Smokebush in the garden system
- Shrub layer shrub
What smokebush is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesMildly toxic if eaten; sap can irritate
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of smokebush, ruled as a catalogue.
Best smokebush varieties & cultivars
'Royal Purple' (deep wine); 'Grace' (large); 'Golden Spirit' (chartreuse); 'Winecraft Black'
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to smokebushyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Smokebush questions, answered straight.
Is smokebush safe for kids and pets?
With care. Mildly toxic if eaten; sap can irritate Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate smokebush?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
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Elsewhere
Where smokebush sits in the library.
Rose
Hydrangea
Common Lilac
Forsythia