Cotinus ‘Grace’
(koe-TY-nus)

Family: Anacardiaceae

Common name: smoke bush; smoke tree; smokewood
Zone: 4 – 8
Height: 10 – 15 ft (3 – 4.5m)
Spread: 10 – 15 ft (3 – 4.5m)
Aspect: full sun; partial shade
Soil: moderately fertile; well-draining
Water: moderate

 

Description: Deciduous shrub with a pleasing, multi-branched, natural-forming shape. Boasts lovely round leaves that emerge light red in spring, darkening to a reddish-purple in summer before turning a brilliant orange-red in autumn. Large, open panicles of frothy pink flowers appear in early summer.

 

Special Notes: A cross between Cotinus coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak’ (a seedling discovered in a nursery in the US) and Cotinus obovulatus (native to SE United States). Pleasing, natural growth form requires little pruning and then only to keep paths clear or make room for its neighbour. Deer resistant. Tends to be susceptible to verticillium wilt and powdery mildew. Allow airflow to minimize contracting these diseases. Propagation is difficult.

 

In our Zone 7a garden: John planted ‘Grace’ on the south side of our pond to create some shade for the goldfish. However, we soon discovered the shrub’s height was impacting on getting past it on our way to the greenhouse or toolshed. This prompted John to coppice…cut back…the shrub to just above the soil level. Doing this annually meant the shrub’s new growth remained better behaved and did not overly impact on the path.

Full disclosure, however, because coppicing ‘Grace’ every year meant our shrub did not produce any frothy pink flowers. It was a sacrifice we endured though as we still were able to enjoy the lovely changes in its foliage as the days progressed into autumn.

Unfortunately, we were forced to remove ‘Grace’ from the garden when we had to renovate our fish pond in 2021. And that is the whole thing with a garden…change happens on a regular basis.

 

Great Plant Pick 2003

 

Posted on November 6, 2014; updated on February 5, 2025