How do you shape a smoke bush into a tree?
Cut back upper growth to within two to three buds of the base every two to three years after blooming for fresh flowering branches — smoke bush blooms on 2- to 3-year-old wood. Cut back annually in early spring for a fresh supply of foliage in highly colored smoke bush cultivars.
How hard can you prune Cotinus?
Cotinus coggygria are easy shrubs to care for. They don’t need much pruning, but if you want to encourage bushy new growth with larger than average leaves, cut the stems back hard in early spring.
Can you trim a royal purple smoke tree?
This shrub can be maintained in two ways depending on your goals. If you prefer the deep purple foliage and do not care for the flowers and plumes, you may consider pruning Royal Purple Smokebush to the ground each spring, allowing new growth to shoot upwards with healthy, vigorous leaves.
When should I prune Cotinus?
For the best leaf display, and to keep plants compact, stems can be cut back hard to a low framework in late winter or early spring – see our guide to pruning for larger leaves for full details.
When should you prune Cotinus?
Cotinus. Hard prune to ground level in late winter to stimulate next year’s foliage, or remove one-third of stems in mid-spring for a display of fine young foliage and attractive flowers.
Can you prune smoke bush in summer?
Trimming smoke trees can be done in late winter or very early spring. Summer flowering trees such as smoke trees need to be pruned before flower buds have shown. The rule for pruning deciduous flowering plants states that if it flowers after June 1, like the smoke bush, you need to prune in early spring.
How do I keep my smoke bush small?
Option 1. If you’re more interested in keeping your smoke bush shorter so you can appreciate its colorful foliage close up, then you should cut the stems back in winter. You can leave just 6 to 8 inches of the stubby branches emerging from the ground.
Should you trim a smoke bush?
When do the leaves turn purple on Cotinus coggygria?
Emerging rich maroon-red in spring, the leaves mature to deep wine purple in summer, before turning redder in fall. Appearing in late spring, large, feathery, pink flower plumes cover the plant with fluffy, hazy ‘smoky’ puffs throughout summer.
Where does the name Cotinus smokebush come from?
The Latin name, Cotinus, is from the Greek word kotinos, meaning olive, which makes sense because the branching and habit of a mature Smokebush (or Smoketree) definitely shares similarities to olive trees of the Mediterranean. Genetically, Smokebush is a cousin of Sumacs ( Rhus) and cashews.
When to cut back a purple smoke tree?
Some gardeners recommend cutting the purple smoke tree to the ground every winter to invigorate the shrub’s foliage, however, the spring flowers and seed puffs are sacrificed by this severe pruning. If a ladder is necessary to prune the tree, have a helper assist you. Never use a ladder alone; in case of an emergency, your helper can call for help.
What kind of problem does Royal Purple smokebush have?
Occasionally, this plant can be attacked by leaf rollers and scale. Verticillium wilt and rusts may also be an issue if the plant is already stressed. To avoid these issues, keep your shrub healthy by watering and applying mulch as necessary. Royal Purple Smokebush is deer and rabbit resistant.