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shrub

Smoke tree 'Royal Purple'

Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Hardy in zones 4–8, Smoke tree 'Royal Purple' is a deciduous shrub. Expect 10–15 ft of height and 10–12 ft of spread; our lists space it 10 ft apart. It does best in full sun with little water once established. Expect pink flowers in June to July. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
Plant type
Shrub, deciduous
Hardiness zones
4 to 8
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Tolerates poor, rocky and alkaline soil; needs drainage.
Mature size
10–15 ft tall × 10–12 ft wide
Spacing
10 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Medium
Bloom
Jun–Jul · pink
Roles in a bed
Anchor, Structure
Styles
modern, cottage, low water
Deer resistance
Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Not on the ASPCA list; sumac-family sap can irritate, so marked toxic to be safe.
Native to
Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price
5-gallon pot, typically $45–$80 (easy to find)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
Pruning
Prune in late winter; cutting hard each spring gives bigger leaves but no smoke plumes.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Smoke tree 'Royal Purple', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Smoke tree 'Royal Purple': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants