[100] Cotinus coggyria, Smokebush

[100] Cotinus coggyria, Smoke Tree

Introduction

Cotinus coggyria, the Smoke Tree or Smoke Bush, is a shrub or tree, native to Southern Europe and Asia but widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is also known as the European Smoke Tree, Venetian Sumach or Dyer’s Sumach.

There is one other species in the Cotinus genus, native to America, also called a Smoke Tree. Cotinus obovatus is, unsurprisingly, also called the American Smoke Tree.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Sapindales

Family – Anarcardiaceae (Cashews and Sumacs)

Genus – Cotinus

Scientific Name – Cotinus coggyria

It is also sometimes still known as Rhus coggyria. The Genus Rhus has a long, disputed history but this species is no longer considered to be a member.

There are several accepted cultivars and the most popular forms have dark purple leaves.

Name

Sumac, also spelled sumach, sumac, soumak or sumaq applies to all the members and former members of the genus Rhus. It comes from old French, Latin and Arabic forms.

The Ancient Greek kotinus is the name of a type of olive tree

Description

Cotinus coggyria is generally a large shrub, sometimes used as a hedge plant, and occasionally growing to a tree form. Leaves are flat and round with a waxy appearance.

The small flowers occur in large groups but most of them abort and tun into pinkish purple feathery plumes, giving a smoky appearance from a distance that gives the plant its name.

It is most often cultivated in varieties with purple-brown leaves.

In varieties with green leaves the bush is impressive for its autumn colours.

Habitat and use

In the past it has been used to make a yellow dye called young fustic.

Others in the widely defined Rhus genus have been used for spices and flavouring, in dying and tanning, and for medicinal uses.

Other Notes

The cultivar Cotinus coggyria ‘Royal Purple’ is widespread and I see it all around in local gardens. I have grown it myself many years ago, when it was called Rhus.

See also

[300] Staghorn Sumac is a species that is still in the genus Rhus.