Royal Purple Smoke Bush - Tree Form

Royal Purple smoketree is grown here in a single-stem tree form, with a crown of deep purple foliage and airy pink-purple plumes. Its changing leaf color and soft summer display make it a strong focal point in a sunny garden. ## Garden Use Use this tree-form selection as an accent or specimen, or place it in a border, hedge, or screen where its foliage can be seen. North Carolina Extension describes showy foliage and a small tree or large-shrub habit; the named tree listing offers it as a single-stem form. ## Growing Conditions Give it full sun for the best leaf color and evenly moist, well-drained soil. It tolerates occasionally dry conditions after establishment, but not persistently wet soil. The species is listed for USDA zones 4a–8b, with clay, loam, and sandy textures and a broad soil-pH range. See [North Carolina Extension’s Royal Purple profile](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cotinus-coggygria-royal-purple/) and the [single-stem tree-form listing](https://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/products/cotinus-coggygria-royal-purple-tree). ## Maintenance Prune in late winter or early spring. Hard pruning promotes new shoots but can reduce flowering; mulch helps retain soil moisture.