Smoke tree or Smoke bush. A deciduous, wide spreading, urn-shaped shrub to 25’ tall and as wide. Roundish leaves are 3” long, with striking color changes from bluish-green in summer to yellow or orange-red in fall. Decorative puffs of purple to lavender “smoke” come from the large, loose clusters of fading flowers. The originally green blossoms fade in time, leaving stalks of long sterile flowers covered with downy purple hairs. Plants thrive in poor or rocky soil with fast drainage and infrequent watering. Usually multi-branched, this dramatic shrub is resistant to oak root fungus, likes full sun and performs admirably in the dry garden. Consider using the purple-leafed form as a focal point in a gray garden. Hardy to 0F. Southern Europe to Eastern Himalaya and Central China.
