Golden Spirit Smokebush

Golden Spirit Smokebush (Cotinus ‘Ancot’) stands out in any landscape — the golden-yellow foliage that glows through spring and summer is genuinely unlike most smokebush varieties, which tend toward green or deep purple. New leaves emerge with a touch of red, quickly transitioning to warm golden-yellow with lime-green hues that hold through the season. In June and July the famous smoky summer panicles arrive — the billowing pinkish-gray seed clusters that give smokebush its name — floating above the golden foliage in a combination that’s hard to find anywhere else. Then in fall, the foliage turns fiery orange-red from the bottom up, closing out a four-season color display that earns this shrub its place as a genuine landscape anchor. Deer resistant, no major pest or disease concerns, and adaptable to a variety of soil types in Zones 4–8.

Golden-Yellow Foliage — Unlike Most Smokebush Varieties

The foliage color is what sets Golden Spirit apart immediately. Where standard green smokebush blends into the landscape and purple smokebush creates a dark, dramatic accent, Golden Spirit’s warm golden-yellow glows in full sun — creating a bright, luminous presence that contrasts beautifully with surrounding green plantings and catches the eye from a distance. The lime-green undertones add depth to the color rather than making it flat, and the reddish new growth in spring adds a third tone to the seasonal progression.

Smoky Summer Panicles — The Effect That Named It

The billowing pinkish-gray panicles that appear in June and July are the smokebush’s signature ornamental feature — hundreds of fine hair-like stalks attached to the spent flower clusters create a soft, smoky, cloud-like effect that’s genuinely unlike anything else in the landscape shrub world. Against Golden Spirit’s golden foliage, the effect is particularly striking.

Easy Care — Prunable, Deer Resistant, No Major Pests

Golden Spirit is adaptable and genuinely low-maintenance. No major pest or disease issues, tolerance for a variety of soil types, and deer resistance make it as practical as it is beautiful. It can be kept compact through annual pruning or allowed to develop into its full 8–15 foot multi-stemmed form as a dramatic landscape specimen.

Why Gardeners Choose Golden Spirit Smokebush

• Golden-yellow foliage all season — warm, luminous, unlike standard green or purple smokebush
• Four distinct seasons of interest — red spring tips, golden summer, smoky panicles, fiery fall
• Smoky pinkish-gray summer panicles — the signature effect that makes smokebush unforgettable
• Deer resistant, no major pests — genuinely low-maintenance once established
• Prunable for size control — keep compact or let it develop into a full specimen
• EZ Start® root system — advanced root development for strong establishment