Common Smoketree Smokebush

Smoketree earns its common name every June when the spent flower stalks develop long, feathery, plume-like hairs that surround the entire canopy in a pink, purple, or gray haze, the tree looks like it is literally smoking. The effect lasts for weeks and is unlike anything else in the landscape. Native from southern Europe through central China and the Himalayas, it grows ten to fifteen feet as a large shrub or small tree with a rounded form. The purple-leaved selections are the most popular: deep burgundy to near-black foliage through the growing season, turning orange, red, and scarlet in fall.

In Western Washington, smoketree takes full sun and tolerates the range of soils common to residential sites, including poor, rocky, and moderately dry ground. It actually performs better in lean soil, rich, fertile conditions produce lush foliage at the expense of the flower display. Two diseases are tracked, including Verticillium wilt, which is the serious concern. Smoketree is in the Anacardiaceae, the same family as sumac and poison ivy, and shares the Verticillium susceptibility that runs through that family. Verticillium persists in soil where susceptible species have died. In a clean site with full sun and decent drainage, smoketree is one of the most visually striking large shrubs you can grow. The plume display is a conversation piece every summer.