I planted last year

==>>> when.. this spring will it be a full year in the ground.. or fall ... and still basically new transplant ...

how big is it ...

ball and burlap large plant.. or potted babe.. ???

while waiting for your answers ... i would probably leave it alone this year ... maybe in fall do some guidance pruning ...

think in tree/shrub time.. dont compare the pic of a decade old plant.. with your recent plant ...

in tree/shrub time.. you can get there ... but its going to take a few years ... so be patient ...

every leaf is a food making machine.. you dont want to go cutting too many off.. too fast .... when it needs the energy.. to grow a root mass ... to get 'established' ... form will come much later ...

if you can favor us with a pic ... we might be able to suggest future pruning ...

ken

ps: i would ask where you are.. but im pretty sure you are in Raleigh ... lol ... perhaps the north side... lol ..

Late winter - like now - is an ideal time. To get a tree form like in the photo you want to remove any lower branches (off the trunks or stems you want to keep) up to your desired canopy location. And it is not a one time shot :-) You will need to do this repeatedly for several seasons to get a clear span between the ground and the canopy (and possibly after, if random shoots appear). Avoid pruning anything in the canopy area as that can lead to lack of flowering or "smoke" production.

ETA: training or pruning to convert a shrub into a standard or tree-like form should begin very early....like the first season in the ground!!

Yes I’m in Raleigh, and I planted this in fall 2017 so a little over a year ago. Right now it’s a single trunk with three long stems. The top stem goes to 7 feet.

So gardengal, you’re saying if I want the leaves and smoke to begin 4 feet off the ground, I should prune branches and buds below four feet, this time every year? And above four feet, leave good branches alone and prune just the dead, crossing, or too-whippy ones?

And for this year should I leave it alone to grow leaves and get established? Sorry for all the questions, but I’ve read that Cotinus can take such crazy shapes and I want to do this right from the beginning. Thanks!

Thanks! Should I leave it alone for this year or what would you recommend I do right now?

Doesn't really look like it needs much at this point. You can always prune off any side shoots later in the season as they appear.

I like the multi-trunk form of Cotinus a lot, but I didn't think you could prune your way to that outcome. The baby tree either has multiple main trunks or a large offshoot from the main trunk at its base, or it does not. I spent a lot of time when buying my Cotinus to get a baby with a multi-trunk form, and honestly, that seems to happen to about one in 30 trees.