Purple smoketree ‘Royal Purple’
'Royal Purple' used as a multi-stemmed cutback shrub in a garden bed at Scott Arboretum.
* Common name: Purple smoketree ‘Royal Purple’
* Botanical name: Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
* What it is: A small tree or large shrub with rich, deep-burgundy, oval leaves and airy, pinkish flower clusters in summer that look like puffs of pink smoke. Leaves turn scarlet in fall.
* Size: 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide if not pruned. If used as a cutback shrub instead of a small tree, it’ll grow about half that size when pruned close to the ground each spring.
* Where to use: Excellent specimen for a house corner or as large accent plants in border beds or mixed gardens. As a tree, it’s nice near a patio or water garden.
* Care: Main job is pruning in early spring. Go lightly if you want a tree form and maximum flowers; whack all stems back to ankle high if you’re shooting for a multi-stem shrub with the fullest, freshest leaf color but few, if any, flowers. Fertilizer and spraying usually not needed. Only needs water when young or in a severe drought.
* Great partner: Black-eyed susans or golden mums light up with ‘Royal Purple’ as a backdrop.
Smoketree blooms look like puffs of smoke.