Royal Purple Smokebush

About the Royal Purple Smokebush

An award-winning, dramatic landscape accent, the Royal Purple Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) is prized for its colorful foliage and airy flower plumes. Maroon-red, oval leaves emerge in early spring and mature to deep purple through the growing season. Young plants, or those growing in shade, may display more green tones until they mature or receive more sunlight, at which point their foliage becomes richly purple. By fall, the rounded leaves turn brilliant scarlet.

In late spring, small flowers appear in clusters and develop into feathery, dusty-pink panicles that create a “smoky” effect over the summer, adding texture and seasonal interest to any garden.

Growing a Royal Purple Smokebush

The Royal Purple Smokebush is a long-lived, adaptable shrub that makes a striking specimen in residential and commercial landscapes. It has an upright habit that spreads with age and thrives in full sun, where it develops the deepest purple foliage and the best floral display. Once established, it tolerates dry or poor soils but does not do well in wet conditions. Low-maintenance, deer-tolerant, and free from major pest or disease issues, this smokebush provides year-round visual interest with minimal care.