Fire Safe Favorites: Cotinus

Firefox — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:03:49 +0000

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

East Border blooms

Firefox — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:19:39 +0000

The new East Border is looking so good right now I had to take a few photos. It’s hard to believe these beds are only 6 months old!

Yellow Phlomis lanata anchors the end of the border

Though there were a few things that survived from the old scheme, like the magnificent Purple Robe Cotinus in full bloom.

Out of the fire comes flowers, literally!

The deep purple Cotinus dominates the new East Border

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Fire Safe Favorites: Cotinus

East Border blooms