American Smoke Bush

Drama In Every Season

The American Smoke Bush (Cotinus obovatus) is a native showstopper that earns every bit of attention with its smoky blooms, brilliant fall foliage, and unique leaf color. This native Smoke Tree is one of the most dazzling and wildlife-friendly large shrubs or small trees you can grow. Gardeners across the country love this native Smoke Bush for its purple-tinged foliage, fragrant flower puffs that look like plumes of smoke, and explosive sherbet-colored fall display!

One of the best native shrubs, and sometimes spelled one word, Smokebushes, for bold color and four-season appeal, its leathery, oval leaves emerge pink in spring, mature to blue-green with red undersides, and hold their color even in the heat of summer. But the real head-turners are the airy, cloudlike flower clusters that give Smoke Bushes their name, purplish-red plumes that persist through fall like a dreamy mist! Blooms are subtly fragrant and beloved by pollinators, and the seeds from female plants provide essential food for songbirds.

In the fall, this large shrub or small tree ignites with color. The foliage transforms into a fiery fall show of raspberry red, orange, lemon-yellow, and lime-green. With its open, airy crown and multi-stemmed form, Cotinus obovatus is both graceful and dramatic.

Key Features

• Fragrant purple-red flower plumes that look like smoke
• Brilliant fall foliage in red, orange, yellow, and lime
• Native Smokebush that supports pollinators and birds
• Tolerates heat, drought, clay, and rocky soils
• 4-season ornamental interest with colorful foliage
• Large shrub or small tree, 20-30 feet tall and wide
• Great for hedgerows, screens, or small tree forms

Landscaping Uses

Native to the Southeastern United States, American Smoke Trees have long been appreciated for their ornamental value and wildlife support. A cousin to European Smokebushes, this North American species is often used in restoration planting, native gardens, and biodiversity projects. This showy Smoke Bush adds drama and color to every corner of the garden. Use it as a privacy screen, specimen tree, or native accent in wildlife gardens. You'll often see it featured in pollinator gardens, native hedgerows, or limbed up as a specimen Smoke Tree.

• Privacy hedges or shelterbelts for birds
• As front lawn specimens, Smoke Trees can slow traffic and turn heads
• Cut flower gardens and fragrant bouquets
• Foundation plantings for bold seasonal color
• Naturalized native borders or pollinator plantings
• Backdrops in large perennial beds

Care & Maintenance

Its hardiness and tolerance for poor soil make it an ideal choice for tough spots. This deciduous native shrub or small multi-stemmed tree is low-maintenance, tough-as-nails, and drought-tolerant once established. It thrives in full sun but tolerates partial shade in hotter climates. Mature Smoke Trees can reach 20-30 feet tall and wide, thriving in USDA growing zones 4-8.

• Planting Time: Spring or fall
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade (best color in full sun)
• Soil Requirements: Tolerates rocky, sandy, or clay soils with good drainage
• Moisture Needs: Moderate to low; use the Finger Test before watering
• Arborist Mulch: Apply a 3-4 inch layer of arborist mulch around the base to conserve moisture
• Fertilization Needs: Little needed; compost in spring is helpful
• Pruning Info: Prune in late winter or early spring to shape; deadhead or prune after bloom for size control
• Renewal Pruning: Every 3-5 years, remove older limbs to rejuvenate
• Special Perks/Growing Needs:
• Deer and pest resistant
• Drought-tolerant
• Pollution-tolerant
• Cold-hardy, heat-tolerant
• Tolerant of high pH

Smoke Gets in Your Garden... and It's Gorgeous

The American Smoke Bush brings fiery color and native charm to any yard. It's a cloud of color in summer and a burst of brilliance in fall, what's not to love? This native Smoketree is a wildlife magnet, a conversation starter, and a gardener's delight. Buy now and Nature Hills will ship at the proper planting time for your growing zone!