Cotinus americanus Nutt.
Cotinus obovatus Raf. American smoketree
The American smoketree is a North American native. Identification: American smoketree takes the form of a large shrub or small tree reaching 15-30′ (4.6-9.1 m) in height, and about the same width. The bark is gray-brown in color, and flaky, and the sap has a strong odor. The wood is a deep orange-yellow color. Leaves are bluish-green, 2-5″ (5-12 cm) long × 1-2½″ (2.5-6.3 cm) wide. Leaves are yellow, orange, red, or purple in the fall. Flowers are panicles (groups) 6-10″ (15-25 cm) long, composed of many long, thin reddish or purplish petioles (stems that support the flowers). Each petiole is tipped with green to greenish-white flowers. The flowers are inconspicuous, but the color of the petioles is visible from a distance as a smoky, purplish haze—thus the tree's common name. Online References:
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M University, Texas A&M System SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network Cotinus americanus Nutt.
Cotinus obovatus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. |
Range: Zones 4-8:
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