Deciduous shrub or small tree with rich purple-black foliage all summer, smoky pink panicles of tiny flowers in midsummer, and brilliant scarlet autumn colour.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 5–8 | −28.9 °C to −6.7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H6 | −20 °C to −15 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 5–8 | −23 °C to −1 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 2–6 | −10 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
About Smoke bush ‘Royal Purple’
The smoke bush earns its name from its fruiting stage rather than its flowers: after the tiny flowers fade, the stalks that held them elongate and grow a haze of fine hairs, producing a cloud that appears to hang around the shrub for weeks. Royal Purple is a dark-leaved selection, and its foliage colour is strongest on plants pruned hard, since new growth carries the deepest tone. Cutting hard for foliage, however, sacrifices the smoke, which forms on older wood — the two effects pull in opposite directions.
Growing notes
- Brilliant scarlet autumn colour in October — particularly striking against the dark summer foliage that precedes it
- Smoky pink flower panicles in June and July are a secondary summer feature
- Cut back hard in early spring for the strongest purple foliage on vigorous new shoots (but at the cost of flowers)
- Drought tolerant once established
Categories
Related plants
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