Has anyone planted a smoke tree and what experience have you had??
-- mommab
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smoke trees
Jul 31, 2003
2 Replies
Our native Smoketree, Cotinus obovatus, is largely carefree and provides stupendous fall colors. Will grow in a variety of soils but will take limestone or alkaline soils very well. Full sun for best growth and color.
Dave
I have 7 of them forming a green fence on the east side of my lot. I live on the top of a limestone hill in western North Carolina with heavy clay soil, and they thrive here. I keep them trimmed and thinned because they like to throw very long shoots up that can reach
6 ft in a year. I lop back the shoots to approx 3 ft in the winter and trim any branches that are not growing where I want them. They take this kind of care very well and have rewarded my with a lovely thick hedge.They have a habit of turning into a very untidy large shrub if not kept in bounds, but I have seen people work on them and turn them into very nice medium-small (~25 ft) trees.
If you want the get the 'smoke', you have to keep some branches untrimmed as they bloom on last year's branch tips.
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