Smoke bush Grace

11 years ago

I've had Grace for about 3 years now and it is growing horizontally and only about 1-2 ft high and no blooms. Is this typical until it starts to establish a strong root system? I've read that it is a fast grower.....hummm!

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Embothrium

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

He was talking about smoke trees in general. My experience would indicate that whacking one down is an excellent way of making it more sprouting and spreading, not more tree-like and vertical. And of course takes the blooming away, as indicated in the foregoing. Also when you cut part of a tree or shrub top away it slows the overall size because a percentage of food making leaves and food storing stems has been taken away. Even though individual vigorous shoots may appear where existing branches have been cut back the total volume of the specimen will have been reduced - both immediately, by the physical removal of existing growth, and for a time after, by the effect the pruning has on how fast the entire plant gets bigger.

Since 'Grace' seems to have much of the largeness of the American parent it should be expected to grow rather big in time, if left unmolested. Seattle (USDA 8) has Cotinus coggygria over 20' tall, with examples elsewhere double that height having been reported; C. obovatus 40'+ tall are known here, with 54' having been seen elsewhere. So it would probably be reasonable to split the difference between 20' and 40' when planning for eventual development of 'Grace' - with it being assumed it will tend to become more towards the upper end of that range.

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Comments (6)

mainegard3
Original Author
11 years ago
I actually see a lot of stems, although short, growing up so the lateral ones i pruned off; hopefully this will do he trick.
User
11 years ago
maine,

I love that shrub. I had a Grace for many years, it was gorgeous! I moved, and left her, and my friend even bought one because she loved mine.

If at any time you don't like the growth on your Grace, BEFORE it leaves out in spring, just prune it hard. Back to the frame of the shrub, the trunk, you don't have to cut it to the ground unless you really want to. You will have a whole new shrub that summer, it's amazing. It won't bloom, just all gorgeous red foliage.

I wish I could have one here, but I think it might be too hot where I am. Sure do miss it though.

Good Luck with it, it's truly a beautiful shrub.
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mainegard3
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks, that's a great idea!
Hope you meet Grace again someday :)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
since i have seen them in front of 100 year old farm houses ... maturity length is questionable ...

i seem to think.. the SB i had.. took quite a few years.. to finally bloom.. in a lot of shade ... sun might be an issue

sexual maturity.. flowering... is highly variable ... just like with teenagers...

ken
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
If you saw 'Grace' in front of a 100 year old farmhouse, it was planted well after that structure was built :-) Grace is a hybrid - a cross between Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak ' and our native smoke tree, Cotinus obovatus, and wasn't introduced until the late 70's, so less than 50 years in the commercial market. Because of its parentage, it tends to grow quite a bit larger than your standard smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria cultivars) - 20' tall and wide is not unusual.

Growth tends to be pretty rapid and a 3 year old plant that is only a couple of feet tall is an indication that something is not quite right. It is possible that winter cold damage has retarded the growth although it should be fully hardy in your zone. That could also explain the lack of flowering, as the flowers are produced on old (previous seasons' ) growth.

In my area, a 3 year old Grace would be somewhere in the 10-15' range, if not larger, and bloom heavily if not pruned.