Winecraft Gold^® Smokebush Cotinus coggygria

I started growing this smoke bush as a gallon size a little over a year ago. It was slow to put on growth last year, but when it came back this spring it has been putting on growth non-stop. When I received it the plant was pruned back to about 1ft x 1ft for shipping. Today it is about 4ft tall and 5ft wide. The striking orangey-red to chartreuse foliage color in the spring is definitely a focal point and it somewhat mirrors a spirea bush I have at the opposite end of the same bed. Unfortunately I have not yet seen the pink smoky plumes, which is the reason for my 4 stars. I am not sure the reason for that, I am hoping my plant just wasn’t mature enough yet? because it didn’t get pruned, it gets plenty of sun and water, it was fertilized. So I am keeping my fingers crossed for next year!

I planted this in a container to start it off because the main stem is still rather small, and wouldn't do well in my windy area. It has been doing excellent in the container so far, and has even started sprouting some new leaves after just a few weeks of planting. The color is absolutely GORGEOUS and I can't wait to see it in its full glory in the years to come. April 7, 2021: This is an update to my review from last year. I want to say that I am pretty blown away by this plant. I live in Oklahoma, so our summers can be pretty hot. This little guy thrived in my container, but did end up scorching a bit (my fault). Then, we had the abnormal cold come through with temps into the negative 10's-20's. I had pretty much accepted that this shrub wouldn't make it through. In March, I transplanted it into a larger container with fresh soil with the faintest of hopes it would come back (I'm moving this summer and want to permanently place it at my new home). Well, it has beautiful orange leaves starting to emerge and I couldn't be more thrilled! This has proven to be a very resilient shrub so far, so I can only imagine how well it will do as it matures and has a permanent home.