American Smoke Tree

American Smoke Tree, Cotinus obovatus

American Smoke Tree gets its common name from the pink billowy spring panicles which look like smoke or haze rising from the tree from a distance. In cultivation it often doesn't reach heights past 6 m (20 ft), but in the wild and with time it can be up to 9.1 m (30 ft) tall. The native range of the American smoketree is in the mountainous soils of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma with a few in Texas Hill Country, but it can now be found throughout most of the United States.

Pink panicles of the American Smoke Tree.

It is a very drought, disease, and heat tolerant tree as well as tolerant of limestone soils. The flowers may change from yellow to pink or purple as they age, and the bark of older trees can become dark and flaky. In the fall, the foliage is known for its spectacular shades of yellow, orange, and scarlet.