Cotinus coggygria 'Purpureus'
Purpureus Smokebush

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Habit

Family:

Anacardiaceae (Sumac Family) 10

Genus:

Cotinus (Smoketree Smokebush Chittamwood) 4

Plant Type:

Shrub/Tree 80

Growth Forms:

Upright 574

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 4 520

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 839

Flower Notes:

Yellow (Yellow flowers (0.3" dia.) are not especially effective)

Foliage Notes:

Red-Violet (Emerging foliage is reddish purple in late spring); Green (Foliage is blue-green in summer); Multi-Colored (Fall coloration is variable, but can be purple, red, and orange)

Fruit Notes:

Purple (Smokey, pink-purple fruiting panicles (6-8" long and wide) effective due to long hairs on pedicels and peduncles through summer)

Ultimate Height:

12-15 feet

Ultimate Spread:

10-15 feet

Fruiting Times:

July 105

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Very adaptable to soils and pH and tolerates some drought

Range:

Cultivated origin

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Alternate, simple, quite oval leaves (1.5-3.5" long) have parallel veination. Purplish coloration around leaf scar. Crushed stems have strong odor. Stems are glabrous with a number of small lenticels.

Purdue Plant Doctor

Parts and Problems of Smoketree

Special Characteristics:

Fruiting Characteristics 115

Mass Plantings 288

Drought Tolerant 289

Notable Texture 282

Additional Information

'Purpureus' is known for its purple-pink fruiting panicles. Can be pruned to low framework each year to promote plant coloration which occurs best on vigorous stems. Misty fruiting panicles give the species its name. The fine-textured hairs on the fruit pedicels and peduncles change colors, being best when tinted smoky purple to pink.

Plant Photo Gallery

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Habit

Habit

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Fall Color

Fall Color

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Emerging Foilage

Emerging Foilage

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Mature Flower

Mature Flower

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Bark

Bark

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Summer Leaf

Summer Leaf

Cotinus coggygria ′Purpureus′ - Fall Leaf

Fall Leaf

When Cotinus coggygria 'Purpureus' has been observed flowering or fruiting at Purdue University

Flowering

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Fruiting

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Other plants like this Cotinus coggygria 'Purpureus' (Purpureus Smokebush)

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