Smokebush 'Golden Spirit®'

Scott's Nursery Ltd.

$39.99
Title

Ignite your garden with a beacon of brilliance! This award-winning shrub features nearly circular, translucent leaves that emerge in a fresh chartreuse before maturing into an intense, glowing golden-yellow that captures every drop of sunlight. In mid-summer, it becomes draped in ethereal, feathery plumes of pinkish-white that resemble soft clouds of smoke drifting through your landscape. As autumn arrives, the foliage puts on a final, show-stopping performance, transforming into a fiery spectacle of coral-pink, amber, and scarlet.

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Plant Details

Mature Size:

8-15' H x W

Zone:

4-8

Watering:

Medium

Foliage Type:

Deciduous

Growth Rate:

Moderate

Light:

Full Sun/Part Sun

Plant Profile

Common Names:

Golden Spirit Smokebush, Golden Spirit Smoketree, Smoke Bush, Venetian Sumach

Scientific Name:

Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit'

Type:

Ornamental Deciduous Shrub

Growth Details:

  • Mature Size: Typically 8–12 feet tall and wide.
  • Growth Habit: Upright and open, multi-stemmed branching habit.
  • Form: Rounded to vase-shaped.
  • Growth Rate: Medium/Average.
  • Longevity: Can live for 40 years or more under ideal conditions.

Environmental Needs:

  • Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.
  • Soil Preferences: Prefers well-drained, fertile loams but is highly adaptable.
  • Soil Tolerance: Highly tolerant of poor, rocky, or clay soils; thrives in acidic, alkaline, or neutral pH.
  • Watering: Average moisture; must have sharp drainage to avoid "wet feet".

Special Features:

Award of Garden Merit winner; Deer resistant; Drought tolerant once established; Salt and pollution tolerant; Virtually pest-free.

Care Guide

Ornamental & Landscape Value

Seasonal Interest:

  • Bloom: Mid-summer pinkish-white "smoky" plumes.
  • Fall Colour: Brilliant mix of amber, coral, and scarlet.
  • Bark: Smooth grey-brown bark adds subtle winter interest.

Garden Value:

Spectacular as a standalone specimen, vibrant focal point, or colorful informal hedge. Its foliage is also a prized addition to cut flower arrangements.

Wildlife & Human Value:

  • Wildlife: Flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
  • Human: Provides exceptional privacy screening, dramatic garden color, and long-lasting foliage for floral design.

Planting & Care Guide

Planting Considerations:

Best planted in spring or fall. Space approximately 6–10 feet apart for hedges. Choose a sheltered location in urban areas to protect from heavy winds.

Care:

  • Light: Performs best in full sun for the most intense leaf coloration, though it tolerates part shade.
  • Moisture: Requires regular watering during the first growing season to establish roots; once mature, it is quite drought-tolerant.
  • Maintenance & Fertilization: Low maintenance; apply a balanced fertilizer in spring and a layer of mulch annually to retain moisture.

Tolerances:

Deer, Drought, Clay Soil, Urban Pollution, and Rocky Soil.

Tips For Success:

Mulch annually to protect shallow roots. Prune in late winter; "coppicing" (cutting back hard) will produce larger, more vibrant leaves but may prevent the plant from flowering that season.

Fruit Profile