Winecraft Gold® Smokebush

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

4-6 Feet

Mature Spread

4-6 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

The stunning foliage of this Winecraft Gold Smokebush variety emerges as a sunny orange in spring, softens to a golden hue, and then settles on a bright chartreuse for the rest of the season. But the dynamic foliage is just the beginning! Clouds of seed heads plume like smoke around the shrub in the summer, lending an exotic look that earns its place as a specimen plant or focal point in the landscape. The bright, cheery foliage isn’t the only thing differentiating Winecraft Gold from its conventional purple cousins. Its dense, oval shape and smaller habit also sets Winecraft Gold apart.

While smokebrush is often used as a specimen plant, this variety is also well utilized in mass plantings as a casual privacy or background screen. It pairs well with other early-blooming shrubs like lilac or spirea, as well as taller wildflowers like black-eyed susans, coneflowers, and yarrow. This is a low-maintenance shrub that will impress year after year! Plus, it’s deer resistant.

Winecraft Gold® Smokebush Care

Keep in mind that Winecraft Gold isn’t as cold tolerant as other smokebush varieties. It does best in Zones 5-8. This smokebush thrives in sunny locations with well-drained soil of any pH level. It also prefers drier climates to moist, humid ones. Once it is established, you won’t need to offer much irrigation, unless you enter a particularly dry period. An application of compost or organic fertilizer every spring will keep it happy through the season.

There’s no need to prune smokebush regularly, in fact it’s better to avoid constant pruning. However, selectively removing a few branches to maintain a desired shape won’t hurt it.

Winecraft Gold® Smokebush Spacing

Winecraft Gold is a smaller smokebush variety, but it can still reach 72” in height and spread at maturity. It will need at least 48” of space from its neighbors. Plant it 72” apart to give it more room and set it off as a focal point in the landscape.