Growth. The American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus, syn. It can be a small tree or large shrub reaching 15 to 20 feet high. Rhus cotinoides) is native to the southeastern United States, from Tennessee south to Alabama and west to Oklahoma and eastern Texas.It is a larger plant, frequently becoming a small tree between 3 and 5 meters (10 to 15 feet) tall, with a trunk from 20 to 35 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) in diameter. Its leaves are obovate in outline and can be ten to The plant was the result of a cross made between Cotinus obovatus, from SE USA and Cotinus coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak. Cotinus coggygria is an upright spreading deciduous shrub or small tree in the cashew family. Huge, feathery, purplish-pink flower plumes cover the plant with fluffy, hazy 'smoky' puffs in summer. Cotinus obovatus Rafinesque The American smoketree (sometimes known as chittamwood) arboreal, reaching twenty to thirty-five feet in height. It is generally larger and coarser in character than Cotinus coggygria, and its flowers are more modest. obovatus: obovate, widest above the middle, refers to the leaves It is a hybrid of Cotinus obovatus and Cotinus coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak’. Cotinus 'Grace' 'Grace' is a hybrid:C. obovatus x C. coggygria 'Velvet Cloak' 'Grace' is just lovely. Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'. Small pink flowers are in huge clusters, up to 12" in summer, and fall color is fire red and purple. Cotinus 'Grace' (Smokebush) is a vigorous deciduous shrub noted for its attractive foliage of rounded leaves. It prefers to grow in full sun as its leaves will revert back to green in the shade, and it tolerates a range of soil pH and soil types. I grow it… Both varieties are durable plants. I have a Cotinus 'Grace' shrub in my garden. Nordine smoke tree . Title: Considering Cotinus Author: Kim E. Tripp Created Date: 9/15/2006 9:52:14 AM 7. Have you ever seen a smoke tree (European, Cotinus coggygria or American, Cotinus obovatus)? ‘Grace’ is the result of a cross between C. coggygria ‘Velvet Cloak’ and a male C. obovatus, it is a tall shrub with purplish-red leaves, turning scarlet in the fall. Left unmolested they can grow quite large, up to 6m in height. New leaves are pinkish-purple turning green as the season rolls along, so for much of the year she's green with pink tips. Large pink flower panicles are with 4 to 6 inch long blue-green leaves. and provides a wide range of garden interest throughout the season. Emerging bright wine red in spring, the leaves mature to dark red in summer, before turning glowing shades of red, orange, and gold in fall. A few cultivars: ‘Red Leaf’ has consistent brilliant fall color. Growing smoke trees is something people do to make great looking shrub borders or even just a pretty patio or accent tree in a front yard garden. The smoke bush or smoke tree is in the Anacardiaceae family, and two varieties are represented: the American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus) and the flame smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria). They can withstand dry soils and high winds, and can even adapt and thrive in … It gets to a decent height, about 2m, and is an impressive feature shrub. Few species can provide great textural qualities in the landscape like Cotinus.They are grown for their large, plumelike panicles, which appear after the flowers, and give a long-lasting, smokey haze to branch tips. Cotinus coggygria originates from Europe and Asia; however ‘Velvet Cloak’ originated as a seedling in the US. It's not very old, 3 years maybe, plus whatever growing time it had before I bought it.