smoke bush (colors and regular)

I have a plain-vanilla Smoke Bush (Cotinus) that has gotten really big and too overgrown for the site. I can cut it back and regrow from scratch, but I'm quite taken by the newer ones with purple leaves, and the newest of all, lime-green leaves. These more colorful types are listed as one zone less hardy (zone 5). Anyone have experience with these?

Here in Chicago I have 'royal purple' and 'golden spirit'. Both super vigorous and hardy. The 'royal purple' was left in a pot (unprotected) outside all winter because I was out of room in the garage and it zoomed this year.

I have 2 'royal purple' Smokebushes on either side of my arbor (they were there first.) I cut them back every Spring to keep them in check. They always come back.

I have a Royal Purple Smoke tree/bush and I love it. The leaves are beautiful! They are beautiful deep purple and they shimmy independently in the slightest breeze. I got this shrub last summer and it loves the spot where I planted it. It hasn't put up it's 'smoke' yet because it is pretty young yet. I live in Zone 4 and the shrub is thriving and happy. And it is totally fuss-free!

Thanks, everyone, for the feedback. I cut down my plain smokebush and replaced with a purple. I still like the lime green ones, too, but didn't find any in stock locally, so purple won.

Thanks for this thread, gg. We have been considering purple smokebushes, and based on these comments, we're definitely going to try some in our landscape.

For those of you with space I highly reccomend a different species of Cotinus, Cotinus obovatus - The American Smoketree. This is a small tree native to the mid -southern states but fully hardy in zone 5. There is a large one on the University Of Michigan campus. It absolutely can not be beat by any other tree for fall color. Guaranteed! It prefers slightly alkaline soil and and somewhat dry sites - no wet feet - and needs full sun. Once established they don't come any tougher. It is worth every inch of its landscape space.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1608/
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=H660


I also have Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit'. Just put it in the ground, so too soon to tell if it really keeps that soft butter yellow, tinged with lime. It's expensive and said to be a slow grower.

Wow, Snapple, that fall color is great.
I have 2 c. obovatus, but each is just a few years old.
I'm worried now that they're not in enough sun; they're in half sun at most.
They look like they're thriving, but admittedly haven't done much yet in the fall.
I don't really have a place to put them in full sun, so maybe I'm stuck.
I have a 20ft tall cotinus 'Grace', which is also in part sun situation, which colors fairly well for me.

But yours is beautiful!!

I have six C. obovatus, but the one in the pic is not mine. Mine are newly planted this spring. That pic is from an internet search, since I didnt have one of my own. I've heard 'Grace' is very, very good. I've got room for more and now I think I will get one.

I planted a 6,000 sq ft sustainable perennial garden ( 400 plants trees and shrubs) on a vacant 13,400 sq ft lot this spring. The plants were chosen to be able to grow without fertilizer or chemicals and after the first establishment year, supplemental water. Since the pH is 7.3 and the ground is well drained C. obovatus and cousins seemed a natural choice.