This is a genus of 7 blooming deciduous trees or shrubs in the sumac family (Anacardiaceae) native to Europe, Asia and the Southeast United States. They can grow from 4 feet to heights in excess of 20 feet. They do best in full sun in moist to dry clay soils that aren't overly fertile, as this causes excessive growth, poorer fall color and a shorter life span. Pruning back in early spring promotes better leaf production and controls the size. They are commonly grown for the large, plume-like panicles that give a smoky haze to the tips of the branches. They appear after the flowers and are long-lasting. The leaves can be green, purple or gold and display good fall color changes. Please consider using the native smoke tree for your yard (C.obovatus) Use these shrubs or trees as an accent or specimen in the pollinator garden or as a foundation plant. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Powdery mildew and verticillium wilt are occasional issues. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.