Fire Safe Favorites: Cotinus
Posted By Firefox on June 14, 2009
I remember when I was small having to sit outside the Salinas City Hall one afternoon while my mother dealt with some issue inside. The lawn was bare except for a very strange small tree growing against the white concrete wall. The tree had big puffs of pink fluff couched among purple leaves. Years later I saw the tree again in Las Vegas and learned about Cotinus coggyria, the Purple Smoke Tree.
In my own garden I have enjoyed a large Continus ‘Royal Robe’ shown here in bloom.
Pink "smoke" catches the morning light.
The deciduous large shrub offers dark purple leaves and pink blooms with vibrant fall foliage. The plant is drought and heat tolerant with a hardiness to about 10F making ideal as a specimen in harsh high and low desert climates. It makes a great fire safe plant by offering color, year round interest and substance to the garden without adding dry fuel.
Available from ForestFarm Nursery in Tetherow OR, www.forestfarm.com
Comments
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.