- Partial Shade to Full Sun (At Least 3 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)
- Mature Height 15 - 20 Feet
- Mature Spread 15 - 20 Feet
- Growing Zones 4 - 8
American Smoketree, or Cotinus Obovatus, is a large tree that rewards its surroundings with great looking foliage, beautiful pink or purple flowers, and outstanding shelter for songbirds. This tree is an aggressive grower that is covered with cool gray foliage. In June, the tips of the branches are covered with clusters of hundreds of flower buds. Once the flowers are spent, the tree takes on a unique, fluffy, smokey appearance from the elongated stalks that once held the flowers. When fall comes, the leaves turn a vibrant red and can persist for almost a month. Once the leaves are gone, it exposes an unusual, gnarled limb structure with fish-like scales.
American Smoketree is native to the infertile, rocky mountain soils of the southern United States. It is hardy and will adapt to many adverse soil conditions. It’s a small, upright tree or shrub. depending on how it is pruned. The American Smoketree has a mature height of 15 to 20 feet. They make a great accent to a patio or as a border tree. With its thick, smokey appearance, birds love to call it home.
American Smoketree Care
American Smoketree prefers full sun and soils that are alkaline, but can tolerate partial shade and slightly acidic soil. It does not respond well to overly rich soil, over-watering, or over-fertilizing. It is drought tolerant, disease resistant, and critter defiant. Although smoke trees are drought tolerant, they do need to be watered well after planting until they are well established.
As the American Smoketree grows, its branches will begin to sag. If you would like to prune your tree to maintain a more tree-like appearance, make sure and do so after all flowering is completed. To protect your tree from drought, especially after being planted, we recommend applying a couple inches of mulch to protect the tree. Precaution should be taken when working around the bark of the tree. It can be easily damaged from grass trimmers or sharp objects.
American Smoketree Spacing
The American Smoketree will grow outward to be moderately wide. When planting next to a patio or sidewalk, plan accordingly. If you plant multiple trees in a row next to each other, space them out 20 to 25 feet.
American Smoketree Information
| USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 - 8 |
| Plant Type: Trees |
| Light Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun (At Least 3 Hours Of Direct Sunlight) |
| Mature Height: 15 - 20 Feet |
| Mature Spread: 15 - 20 Feet |
| Spacing: 15 - 20 Feet |
| Habit: Upright |
| Flower Color(s): Pink |
| Flower Description: |
| Bloom Period: Spring |
| Foliage Type: Deciduous |
| Foliage Color(s): Orange |
| Foliage Description: Orange To Reddish Fall Foliage |
| Seasonal Interest: Spring Flowering |
| Watering: Average |
| Resists: Deer |
| Tolerates: Heat, Drought |
| Attracts: Birds |
| Container Role: |
| Uses: Wildlife Gardens |
| Features: Attracts Pollinators, Native to North America |
| Brand: |
| Common Name: American Smoketree |
| Other Name(s): |
| Scientific Name: COTINUS OBOVATUS |
- SKU:
- 1231004328-pc
Container Sizes
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on; type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
4.5" Pot
Also Know As:
4.5" Container
Plant Age:
~ 6 months
Plant Size:
~ 3"-6"
Pot Size:
~ 4.5"H x 3.75"W
Volume:
1.42 quarts
Quart Pot
Also Know As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 6 months - 1 year
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
2.5 Quart
Also Know As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
#1 Pot
Also Know As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
#2 Pot
Also Know As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 - 3 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
#3 Pot
Also Know As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 - 4 years old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
For more detailed information, please click here.
Plant Addict Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Planter Shipping
Standard Colors: 2-3 business days
Special Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On special orders there can not be any cancellations
Plant Shipping
Time of Order:
Summer Shipping
- If there is extreme heat we’ll delay shipping.
- We’ll have to review what areas the plants are traveling through along with your location
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an email with tracking information. Depending on the above criteria we’ll ship your plant(s) towards beginning of the following week from your order. We put together this helpful guide of what to do when you receive your plants in the mail.
It is important to know that all of our plants are clearly labeled for which growing zones the plant can survive in. The plants are thoroughly trialed and tested in every growing zone before we state the plant can grow in a zone. Again, our #1 priority is to ship the plants to you healthy and ready to thrive in your location. So we will do everything in our power to do so.
