Common Names: Smokebush, Smoketree, Smoke Tree, Skumpia, Venetian sumach, dyer’s sumach
Origin: North America, Eurasia, Southern & Central China
- Stunning foliage in summer and autumn
- Ornamental flowers resembling puffs of smoke
- Enjoys full sun and partial shade, drought and frost tolerant
The inflorescences form as fine purplish branchlets with sparse tiny pink flowers, giving the appearance of pale fawn/greyish puffs of smoke scattered over the tree. These shrubs are spectacular additions to any garden being easy to cultivate and tolerant of most conditions.
Plant Type: Shrub, Small Tree
Uses: Feature, Medium Hedge, Standards & Topiary, Pleaching, Floristry (cut flowers & foliage)
Garden Types: Pots & Containers, Tropical, Lush & Leafy, Cottage, Woodland, Japanese, Courtyard
Care
Sun Requirements: Full sun or part shade position
Water Requirements: Water semi regularly until established but these plants do not like wet feet! Make sure the soil drains well.
Soil Requirements: Will tolerate a bit of sandy and clay soil but look their best in moist, well-drained loamy soil.
Fertilizing: General-purpose fertilizer in spring. Not required once established unless soil lacks nutrients. The flowers diminish if over fertilized.
Pruning: To keep in a neat shape, prune soft water shoots where needed, avoiding pruning during heavy frost periods. Remove dead, dying or diseased wood.
Tolerances: Frost hardy. Does not tolerate soggy soils or extreme drought.
Diseases: Reasonably disease and pest tolerant.
Key Features
Flower: Many tiny flowers at the end of long panicles, which gives a hazy, smoky effect. Purple, pink, bronzey-fawn or greyish in colour. Used for cut flowers. Flowers during summer.
Foliage: Broad oval-shaped with a smooth edge. Comes in Greens, reds, yellow, orange and purple with magnificent autumn colour
Seeds / Berries: N/A
Edible: N/A
Toxicity: No real toxicity. Related to Rhus so potential contact dermatitis
Attracts: Some insects
