MY poor purple smokebush was pruned badly over the years so this year I had our handyman take a chain saw and cut it off at ground level. The trunk was about 16 inches in diameter. It is now a lovely rounded mound of purple beauty about 2 feet high -- the bambis are keeping it in check. In my inexpert opinion, these shrubs are bomb proof and you can do as you wish. I intend to keep this mound of shrub pruned properly in future -- to the shape I want it to be.

My poor purple smokebush- croaked! It was always kind of fragile but this year it had enough. I thought they were tough too. I will try again. Hope yours recovers - both of them!

My poor purple smokebush was the landing pad for a douglas fir in our December windstorm. Half was sheared straight off and the remaining trunk was split down the middle lengthwise and mangled completly.

I was too sad to cut it down immediately and the mess from the tree was pretty extensive, so by the time I got around to it, the split trunk was budding - even above the split. So I left it.

It's growing beautifully right now.

I say chop it. They don't seem to mind.

Although not always sturdy and symmetric definitely more dignified if allowed to grow naturally, whereas stooled specimens come back all snaky and weird for awhile, as though groping around trying to find the rest of their missing tops.

Perhaps my smokebush used to be looking for the witch (me) that pruned it so badly that it was growing brooms. I am still thrilled with the result of the total lopping. Last year, I pruned it to 18 inches still with a bad shape so this year I took the plunge and it's great. Mind you, darned Bambi keeps pruning the soft new shoots.

I'm trying to post a picture of my smokebush -- I have my fingers crossed!

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1083228}}

Looks like 'Grace'. With a 16 inch trunk it must have been a whopper.

Coppicing is one way to manage Cotinus. You can cut it to the ground each year and have a nice little bush grow out in the spring. One speaker at a seminar I attended recommended growing spring bulbs and coppiced Cotinus together since the Cotinus growing from the ground will shortly cover the unsightly foliage from spring bulbs.

Amy

Now that I posted that I have never done it myself and I am hesitant to recommend it. Seems to be working that way on Dotty's Cotinus but check it out a little further before you go to whacking things to the ground.

Amy

My "not a poor" purple smokebush - the evening light was perfect yesterday -

Sue

Absolutely lovely! Thanks for sharing.

"Whacking to the ground" IS a bit severe :-) Typically a permanent woody framework is maintained at some predetermined height. I'd personally not venture much below 15-18" inches and have had excellent results with maintaining smokebushes at around waist height. The resultant seasonal regrowth has never been weird or "snaky" but produces very densely-leaved stems with enlarged and rather intensely colored foliage. On an established shrub, you can expect another 4-6' feet of seasonal growth (perhaps more with 'Grace') but of course will sacrifice any flowering.

I'd be interested in seeing that seminar speaker's routinely whacked back cotinus and how well it actually disguises bulb foliage. Seems a bit of a stretch to me, as coppicing is generally done just as the new buds become evident which is when most spring bulb foliage is starting to decline - the timing is just off. And the response to heavy coppicing is not immediate. It's hard to imagine how a ground level whacking will produce enough regrowth rapidly enough to disguise much of anything.

My smokebush is now about 8 feet tall and taking over my garden. I allowed it plenty of room - or so I thought. I've heard nightmare stories about pruning it, but you all have changed my mind. I will prune without fear. So - when is the best time to prune? Would I be ok pruning in the fall?

The expert who taught me said St. Patrick's Day for renovation and regular pruning.