Best smoke bush (Cotinus) cultivars

*Cotinus coggygria* -- smoke bush or smoke tree -- is a large deciduous shrub or small tree native to southern Europe and Asia, grown primarily for its summer display of billowing, hair-like inflorescences (the "smoke") and, in purple-foliaged cultivars, for persistent deep burgundy foliage.

—- title: "Best smoke bush (Cotinus) cultivars" slug: best-smoke-bush-cultivars hub: plants category: "Cultivar guide" description: "Sourced guide to the best smoke bush (Cotinus) cultivars for purple foliage, smoke-like plumes, and fall color, with zone ranges and pruning options." date: 2026-06-10 updated: 2026-06-10 author: "Thomas A." reading_time: 9 —-

Cotinus coggygria — smoke bush or smoke tree — is a large deciduous shrub or small tree native to southern Europe and Asia, grown primarily for its summer display of billowing, hair-like inflorescences (the "smoke") and, in purple-foliaged cultivars, for persistent deep burgundy foliage throughout the growing season. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, it is hardy in zones 4—9 and grows 10—15 feet tall and wide in the absence of pruning, though many gardeners cut it back hard each spring to maintain a foliage-focused shrub of 3—6 feet.

The native American species, Cotinus obovatus (American smoketree), is a large tree (20—30 ft) with excellent fall color (orange to scarlet-red) but less showy "smoke" display. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, it is rarely available in the nursery trade.

How the smoke display works

The "smoke" is not flowers per se but elongated pedicels (flower stalks) with hair-like filaments that persist after the tiny flowers drop. Per NC State Extension, the plumes develop from June through September and turn pink to purple-gray as the season progresses, creating the characteristic smoke effect. They form on stems that grew the previous season — meaning hard annual pruning removes them entirely.

Green-foliaged cultivars

'Velvet Cloak'

Per Missouri Botanical Garden, the straight-species green foliage on a selected form with particularly vivid purple-pink smoke plumes. Less commonly grown than the purple-leaf cultivars.

'Young Lady' (Younglady)

Introduced in Europe; compact (5—7 ft); early and heavy smoke production even on young plants. Per RHS, RHS Award of Garden Merit. More suitable for small gardens than the straight species.

Purple-foliaged cultivars

'Royal Purple'

The benchmark purple-foliaged smoke bush. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, 'Royal Purple' produces deep wine-purple foliage that holds color through summer (better than many other purple cultivars) and turns brilliant red-orange in fall. It reaches 10—15 ft when unpruned and produces pink-purple smoke plumes. Hardy zones 4—8.

'Nordine Red'

Per University of Minnesota Extension, 'Nordine Red' is selected specifically for superior cold hardiness to zone 4a and excellent purple-to-red fall color. The foliage is slightly less intensely dark than 'Royal Purple' but more reliable in northern climates.

'Grace'

A hybrid between C. coggygria 'Velvet Cloak' and C. obovatus, introduced by Peter Dummer (UK). Per Missouri Botanical Garden, 'Grace' reaches 15—20 ft — larger than pure coggygria cultivars — with large pink-purple plumes and vivid scarlet-red fall color. It inherits the better heat and drought tolerance of C. obovatus and the more ornamental smoke display of C. coggygria. Zones 5—8.

'Golden Spirit' (Ancot)

Yellow-chartreuse foliage rather than purple — one of the most vivid golden-foliaged large shrubs available. Per NC State Extension, 'Golden Spirit' grows 6—10 ft, is hardy in zones 4—8, and the golden foliage combines with pink smoke plumes in summer. The leaves turn peach-orange-red in fall. Full sun is needed to maintain foliage color; shade produces greenish leaves.

'Winecraft Black' (Ppaf)

A relatively recent introduction marketed for near-black foliage. Per North Carolina State cultivar data, foliage is very dark burgundy-purple, the darkest of current commerce; compact to 6 ft; zones 4—8. The very dark foliage can absorb too much heat in hot climates, causing leaf scorch in zone 7—8 south.

'Pink Champagne'

Selected for unusually light, almost white-pink smoke plumes against green foliage; 10—15 ft; per Missouri Botanical Garden, a contrasting alternative to the standard purple-smoke cultivars.

Pruning approaches

There are two fundamentally different ways to grow smoke bush. Per Clemson HGIC, which approach you take determines what ornamental feature you get:

Option 1: Allow to grow as a tree (for smoke display) Prune only to remove dead or crossing branches in late winter. The plant develops into a multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree and produces the full smoke display on 2-year-old wood.

Option 2: Coppice hard in late winter (for foliage) Cut back to 12—18 inches each late winter. Per RHS advice on coppicing, this produces vigorous new stems with dramatically larger leaves than unpruned plants, maximizing the foliage effect. On purple-foliaged cultivars, this keeps the color intensity high because fresh new growth has the deepest color. No smoke plumes will form.

Both approaches are correct; they simply deliver different results.

Site requirements

Per Missouri Botanical Garden:

• Full sun for best foliage color and smoke display
• Well-drained to dry soil; tolerates poor, rocky, alkaline soil
• Does not tolerate wet or poorly drained sites
• Drought-tolerant once established
• Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers — they produce lush foliage but reduce smoke plume development

Common problems

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow smoke bush in zone 4? Yes. The straight C. coggygria and most cultivars are rated hardy to zone 4. Per UMN Extension, 'Nordine Red' is the most specifically tested zone 4 selection. Expect some tip dieback in severe zone 4 winters, especially in exposed sites.

Is smoke bush invasive? Not listed as invasive in any US state. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, it does not self-seed aggressively in typical landscape conditions. The American native C. obovatus is never invasive.

Does smoke bush need fertilizer? No. Per Clemson HGIC, smoke bush performs best in lean soils with no supplemental fertilization. Adding nitrogen produces lush growth at the expense of flower and smoke display.

**How do I tell the difference between Cotinus coggygria and C. obovatus?** C. obovatus has larger leaves (3—5 in.), grows into a larger tree (20—30 ft), and has slightly less showy smoke plumes but dramatically better fall color (scarlet-red-orange), per Missouri Botanical Garden. 'Grace' is a hybrid between the two with traits of both.

Sources

1. Missouri Botanical Garden — Cotinus coggygria
2. Missouri Botanical Garden — Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
3. Missouri Botanical Garden — Cotinus 'Grace'
4. Missouri Botanical Garden — Cotinus obovatus
5. NC State Extension — Cotinus coggygria
6. NC State Extension — Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit'
7. Clemson HGIC — Smoke tree
8. University of Minnesota Extension — Smoke tree
9. Royal Horticultural Society — Cotinus cultivars