Holy smokes!
Smokebush is a fun plant. The clouds of pink flowers are unlike other garden plants and have the exotic appeal of something seen only in botanic gardens. (It's actually not the flowers that you notice, but the hairs around them.) In addition to the attention-grabbing summer flowers, Cotinus has excellent fall color. It will add months of interest to landscapes. It's an adaptable plant, too. Drought, clay soil, deer - none of these things will trouble Cotinus. The only thing you really need to watch is that the soil is well-drained.
As an easy-to-grow, adaptable plant with tons of ornamental appeal, why aren't there more smokebushes in gardens? One reason is that they are at their peak in summer rather than spring, so there isn't a ton of impulse appeal at retail. Another is that older varieties are kind of irregular growers. Their habit could be a bit ungainly, especially as young plants.
Meet Winecraft Black
That's why we're so pleased to introduce Winecraft Black®, a new compact Cotinus with an excellent uniform habit. It's a semi-dwarf plant that grows 4-6' tall and wide, so it fits nicely into most landscapes. Really, now there's no excuse not to have smokebush in your garden.
As the name would suggest, Winecraft Black® has dark purple-black foliage that is quite showy all summer long. In summer pink-red panicles cover the plant in the signature 'smoke' of smoketrees. Hardy to USDA Zone 4, this plant will do best in full sun.
Garden Answer & Winecraft Black
Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles
