Virginia Tech Dendrology

European smoketree Anacardiaceae Cotinus coggygria Scop. symbol: COCO10
Leaf: Alternate, simple, oval, entire margin, blunt-tipped, 3 to 5 inches long; blue green above, paler below, several cultivars prized for purple foliage.
Flower: Small, greenish yellow occurring on many finely branched, slender clusters which resemble puffs of smoke; changes color from yellowish to pink as the age; few actual flowers occur.
Fruit: Light brown, 1/8 inch long, kidney-bean shaped; few appear on the slender branched, hairy stems.
Twig: Moderately stout, reddish green or with a purple tint, glaucous, turning gray-brown with age; buds small, leaf scar not lobed.
Bark: Initially light gray-brown, later splitting into thin strips and becoming scaly and darker.
Form: A shrub to 15 feet tall with an equal spread.
Looks like: American smoketree

Additional Range Information: Cotinus coggygria is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information