- 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 Known 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 Known 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 Known As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 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 Known As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 1 - 2 years old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
#2 Pot
Also Known 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 Known 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 Addicts Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts always guarantees your plant(s) will arrive happy & healthy. However, plant(s) are being shipped through the mail & sometimes accidents happen. If the plant is dead, has dried out roots or the incorrect item was shipped, just notify Plant Addicts within 3 days upon delivery. We may ask for pictures but will try to make it as easy as possible for you. Please note, plant(s) with damaged branches or wilted leaves will not qualify for this guarantee. Plants are very resilient and will rebound quickly when cared for correctly.
For more information on how to care for your new plants, please click on our guide below.
Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
We encourage all plant lovers to purchase the Plant Addicts Warranty, whether you're a new gardener or an expert. There are many variables outside of anyone's control that can cause a plant to die. Hungry animals, drought, poor soil conditions, over watering, diseases & pests are all good examples of what can cause plants to die. The Plant Addicts Warranty is a 1 year warranty protecting you from all of the unknowns and will replace your plant if something were to happen to it.
The warranty is purchased on a per plant basis and must be purchased at the same time as the plant(s). We will cover 100% of the price of the plant, but the warranty does not cover shipping costs. SImply let us know if your plant has died within 1 year of receiving it and we will get you a new one shipped out as soon as possible (depending on the time of the year and availability). We may ask for photos for documentation purposes, but we try to make the process as easy as possible.
For more information, please click on our page below.
Plant Shipping
Below are some factors we consider when determining when to ship the plants depending on the timing of the order.
Winter to Early Spring
We ship only when it's warm enough to plant in your growing zone.
Sometimes plants aren't completely ready to sell and ship in early spring. We will wait until the plants are ready before shipping so you don't get a subpar product.
For Southern plants we will be able to ship much earlier than plants coming from our northern nursery.
Summer
If there is extreme heat we may delay shipping for a week or several weeks.
We review what areas the plants are traveling through as well as your location.
Fall into Winter
We’ll ship plants out all the way up to the end of the fall planting season!
Winter
Get your order in early to reserve your plants for Spring planting!
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an automated email with tracking information.
Click here for more detailed shipping information.
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