Cotinus obovatus
American Smoketree

Family:

Anacardiaceae (Sumac Family) 10

Genus:

Cotinus (Smoketree Smokebush Chittamwood) 4

Plant Type:

Shrub/Tree 81

Growth Forms:

Upright 571

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 4 515

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 836

Flower Notes:

Yellow (Small, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers; Bloom in June) Pink (smoky pink to purplish pink in summer)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Blue-green summer foliage); Multi-Colored (Outstanding red, orange, yellow, or reddish-purple fall foliage)

Fruit Notes:

Pink (Smoky pink to purplish-pink, hairy fruiting panicles give the "smoke-effect"; the actual fruits are small and insignificant; Summer)

Ultimate Height:

20-30 feet

Ultimate Spread:

20-30 feet

Bloom Times:

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Very adaptable to soils and pH; tolerates limestone soils and some drought

Maintenance:

Medium 79

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Alternate, simple, quite oval leaves (2-5" long by 1-2.5" wide), with rounded to notched apex, and parallel veination. Lobed leaf scar (this can vary). Orange stems are glabrous with a number of small lenticels.

Ecological Functions:

Special Characteristics:

Additional Information

Cotinus obovatus can be a large shrub or small tree and is most noted for its extraordinary fall color and fluffy, smoke-like fruiting panicles. It is a tough plant, adapted to poor, rocky, limestone soils.