Smokebush
Smoke bush, or Smoke tree, is a very popular garden and landscape shrub with its’ unique blooms appearing as fluffy puffs of smoke.
Smokebush/tree Continus coggyrgria ‘Golden Spirit’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4b-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water Requirements: Average to medium water requirements
Mature Height: 8 feet
Mature Spread: 6 feet
Shape: Upright and open
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Preference: Average well drained soil. Tolerates poor soil
Foliage: Lime green, maturing to bright gold, then orange red
Blooms: Pink purple billowing smoke like clusters in summer
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Virtually pest and disease free
Fertilize: Apply an all purpose, balanced slow release fertilizer in spring
Pruning: Prune anytime
‘Golden Spirit’ is a spectacular specimen of Smokebush. Spring opens foliage of striking chartreuse that matures to a bright gold for summer. By autumn the foliage turns glorious shades of orange and red. Smoke like puffs of pale pink flowers display in early summer, blooming on old wood. Frequent or hard pruning will diminish blooming. ‘Golden Spirit’ is grown for the outstanding foliage display, smoke like blooms are minimal. The best all season foliage color is achieved in full sun.
‘Golden Spirit’ does not tolerate extremely dry conditions well and in general prefers deep watering occasionally. Mulch to hold moisture. Note that ‘Golden Spirit’ may not survive zone 4a and colder.
Smokebush/tree Continus x dummeri ‘Grace’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-8
Light Requirements: Full Sun Part Shade
Water Requirements: Average to medium water requirements
Mature Height: 12-15 feet
Mature Spread: 12-15 feet
Shape: Upright and rounded with arching branches
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Preference: Average well drained soil. Tolerates poor soil
Foliage: Wine red rounded leaves mature to plum, then orange red in fall
Blooms: Pink purple billowing smoke like clusters in summer
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Virtually pest and disease free
Fertilize: Apply an all purpose, balanced slow release fertilizer in spring
Pruning: Prune only as necessary to control growth.
All season color of the hybrid ‘Grace’ is spectacular. Foliage is gorgeous, opening in bright wine red laced over green, maturing to a deep plum, and finally turning brilliant orange red in autumn. In early summer the smoke like plumes of pink blooms appear, lasting into summer. Foliage color and blooming perform best in full sun.
‘Grace’ prefers occasional deep watering and will benefit from more frequent watering in extreme heat. Generally will not require supplemental watering. Best leaf color displays on new growth. To encourage leaf color hard prune in late winter or very early spring, but flowering will suffer. Blooms appear on old growth. Very adaptable to soil conditions and is quite tolerant of urban conditions.
Smokebush/tree Continus coggyrgria ‘Royal Purple’
Hardiness Zones: Zones 4-9
Light Requirements: Full Sun Part Shade
Water Requirements: Average to medium water requirements
Mature Height: 10-15 feet
Mature Spread: 15-20 feet
Shape: Upright and open
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Preference: Average well drained soil. Tolerates poor soil
Foliage: Deep red purple rounded leaves
Blooms: Pink purple billowing smoke like clusters in summer
Fruit: Insignificant
Disease and Insects: Virtually pest and disease free
Fertilize: Apply an all purpose, balanced slow release fertilizer in spring
Pruning: Prune anytime
The ‘Royal Purple’ Smokebush is a very dramatic deciduous shrub. Late spring seed clusters of pink purple smoke like seed clusters form in spring and are spectacular and long lasting. The rich wine purple foliage holds great color all summer long and then turns bright scarlet in fall. Even the leaves are unique with a rounded form, emerging first as a brighter maroon red.
Smoke bush enjoys occasional deep watering, especially in extreme heat, but do not over water. All season the color will perform best in full sun. Mulch rather than supplemental water other than drought conditions. Although not at all fussy about soils, Smokebush will not perform well in wet soggy soils. Smokebush creates a striking privacy screen, informal hedge or specimen plant. A hard pruning after the shrub is well established in very early spring or late winter will encourage abundant bright spring color but abundant smoky blooms may be sacrificed. The early form of Purple Smokebush is upright and rounded, but it will spread as it matures. Smokebush is a long living shrub and you can expect it to survive 40 years or more.