Velvet Cloak Purple Smokebush
Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak'
Height: 10 feet
Spread: 10 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Other Names: Smoketree
Description:
Beautiful burgundy leaves and billowy puffs of pink 'smoke' cover this small tree for a truly unusual and breathtaking effect; will stop you dead in your tracks to take another look; brilliant red fall color; holds dark purple foliage throughout summer
Ornamental Features
Velvet Cloak Purple Smokebush features airy panicles of yellow flowers with pink stalks at the ends of the branches from early to late summer. It has attractive deep purple deciduous foliage. The round leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding brick red in the fall.
Landscape Attributes
Velvet Cloak Purple Smokebush is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Velvet Cloak Purple Smokebush is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- General Garden Use
Planting & Growing
Velvet Cloak Purple Smokebush will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
