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Cotinus coggygria

Accession Count: 0
Common Name: smoke tree
Family Name: Anacardiaceae
Botanical Name: Cotinus coggygria
Synonyms:
Botanical Synonyms: Rhus cotinus L.
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics: Cotinus coggygria is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub to small tree. It has loose, upright and open branching (1), a symmetrical, and dense crown (2), and can have an overall rounded or somewhat irregular form (3). Stems are smooth, purple or brown (3) with light-gray bark, and older trees display scaly and darker bark in thin strips (4). The leaves are 1.5-3.5” long, oval, simple, and alternate, with entire margins. In addition, leaves are glabrous (5), have rounded tips,  parallel veins, and long petioles (2). In the summer, foliage is dark bluish-green, but becomes a mix of orange, yellow, pink, purple, and red in autumn, depending on the cultivar (5). Coggygria is dioecious, and when flowering will form small yellow-green flowers on panicles (3) with long showy pedicels and peduncles that change color throughout the season, eventually resulting in the appearance of pink smoke hovering like a cloud over the canopy (2). In summer, a very small pink drupe (<0.25 in) is produced, that falls from the plant and  contributes dry litter and mulch to the soil (6).
Compound: Cot cog
Geographic Origin: Southern Europe
Ecozone Origin: Palearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History: Cotinus coggygria is theorized to have been introduced to the United States landscape from 19th century trade with China (2). However, in cultivation, it has been grown since the 1500s (7). Alice Coats, in Garden Shrubs and their Histories mentions that coggygria has been grown in gardens since before 1656 (8), for the beautiful smoke-like plumes. It is named for Joannes Antonius (Giovanni Antonio) Scopoli, Austrian botanist and plant collector (9). He included Cotinus coggygria in Flora Carniolica, Edito Secunda (1771), where it replaced the synonym Rhus cotinus (1753). The genus cotinus refers to kotinos, Greek for wild olive, while coggygria refers to the Greek word for “smoke tree” (10).
Cultivation Notes:

Cotinus coggygria tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, including a pH between 3.7-6.3; sandy, loamy, and clay soil; and both moist and dry soil (5). It grows in USDA hardiness zones 5B through 8B (11) and tolerates both sunlight and shade. However, for the most vibrant foliage, and to avoid asymmetrical growth, full sun is necessary (12),(11). Water is only needed for the first few years, until the tree is established (12), as Cotinus coggygria is drought tolerant. 


The smoke-tree is easily transplanted (3), and can be pruned into a variety of styles, including a globe-like bush or a small tree. Pruning is generally not needed (and discouraged) however, if a more regular form is desired, prune at most every other year if flowers are also desired, as coggygria only blooms on old wood (12). In order to propagate from seed, both male and female trees must be present. The smoke-tree can also be propagated from heel or nodal cuttings – however, some cultivars are difficult to root (5).
Ethnobotany: Many parts of Cotinus coggygria contain medicinal properties, being antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antigenotoxic, hepaprotective, and anti-inflammatory. The diverse bioactive properties of the smoke-tree make it an effective remedy for many illnesses, including as essential oils and extracts (13). Wood can be steeped and used as a coagulant, fever reducer, and treatment for eye ailments (5). A yellow dye is obtained from the roots and stem, the leaves and bark can be used for tannins, and wood and twigs can be used for craft or carpentry (13). Additionally, the shoots and fruits are used as an emergency food source in China and the Garwhal Himalayas of India (13).
Height: 11 - 15 feet
Width: 11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate: Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season: ForeSummer
Color: Yellow
Function: Accent
Spread: Spreading
Allergen: Allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Benign
Hardy: Semi-hardy
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:

        1. Dave’s Garden. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        2. Oregon State University Department of Horticulture. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        3. University of Connecticut Plant Database. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        4. Kendal Crosslands Arboretum. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        5. Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        6. Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        7. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        8. Mount Auburn Cemetery. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

        9. Global Plants. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

       10. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

       11. University of Florida. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

       12. University of California Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

       13. US National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 21st, 2020.

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Cotinus coggygria