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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Anacardiaceae (Sumacs, Cashew) |
| Origin: Europe, Southern (Europe) |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Pink |
| Bloomtime: Spring |
| Synonyms: [Rhus cotinus, C. coggygria 'Kromhout'] |
| Height: 12-16 feet |
| Width: 10-15 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: < 0 °F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' (Purple Smoke Tree) - This deciduous shrub has foliage that emerges a rich maroon red in the spring and darkens to purplish red by late summer. Airy puffs of purplish hairs surround the flowers which begin appearing in late spring and early summer. The 'smoke puffs' are created by large, loose clusters of fading flowers - as the tiny greenish blossoms fade, stalks of sterile flowers elongate and become clothed with fuzzy purple hairs. This shrub can grow to about 20 feet tall, and to 12 feet wide. It does best in full sun to part shade and is drought tolerant. It is hardy to around -25 degrees F (rated to Sunset zone 2 and USDA 4a). This is the darkest of the purple smoke trees with rich red purple fall color in cool climates - we also previously grew the cultivar 'Velvet Cloak' which has a slightly smaller leaf and lacks the fine but distinct pink leaf margin that the leaves of 'Royal Purple' have. This cultivar was selected by Lombarts Nursery in Boskoop, Holland and was first introduced into the U. S. in 1953. It received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993. The species is native to a large area from southern Europe, east across central Asia and the Himalayas to northern China. Both the name for the genus and the specific epithet come from ancient Greek names for plants, the genus from 'kotinos' which was used for the wild olive and coggygria from 'kokkugia', the name used for the Smoke Tree.
The information about Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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