Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' (Smoke Bush) – Deciduous Shrub (3L Pot)

Cotinus 'Royal Purple' is the smoke bush, a rounded shrub with deep burgundy purple leaves and a haze of tiny summer flowers that float above it like smoke.

The leaves are the point. They are almost round, hold their dark colour from spring until autumn, and then turn scarlet, orange and crimson before they fall. In summer the flower plumes open in soft pink purple and last for weeks, and florists cut both the foliage and the plumes.

It grows into a bushy shrub of two to four metres each way and makes a strong full stop at the back of a border or a specimen on its own in a lawn. Plant it in full sun for the darkest leaf colour; in shade the purple drifts towards a muddy green and the flowering is poorer. It wants fertile soil that drains, and it is not happy on thin dry ground or heavy soil that lies wet in winter. Once established it takes dry spells in its stride.

Prune lightly in late winter to keep its shape. Cutting it back hard gives larger leaves but costs you that year's smoke. Supplied as an established plant in a 3L pot.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Smoke bush, smoke tree
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 2 to 4m tall by 2 to 4m wide
• Growth Habit: Rounded, bushy, upright deciduous shrub
• Perfect For: Mixed borders, specimen planting and contemporary or country schemes
• Foliage: Rounded deep purple to burgundy leaves turning scarlet, orange and crimson in autumn
• Flowering Time: Summer, soft pink purple smoke like plumes
• Planting Position: Full sun for the best leaf colour, or partial shade. Fully hardy and drought tolerant once established.
• Soil Type: Fertile, well drained soil. Not for thin dry ground or waterlogged clay.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout Britain
• Maintenance: Low. Prune lightly in late winter for shape.
• Seasonal Interest: Summer and autumn
• Type: Hardy deciduous shrub