Thursday, October 30, 2014

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple' is my favorite plant in the garden (this week)…


I’ve never been one to garden with an eye to fall color. Most of the plants I’m drawn to don’t really put on a big fall display and besides, there’s plenty all around me (in the neighborhood) so why worry about including it in my garden? So I am surprised every year when my Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' starts to put on its fall show.

I planted it for the dark leaves it holds through summer, not having a clue it would color up in the fall, eventually putting on a show that rivals the neighbors sumac (Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes', which it is closely related to) seen here on the left...

It’s also my short color-echo for another neighbor’s maple...

The stats on this “smoke bush”:
  • deciduous shrub which grows in USDA Zones 5a-9b
  • eventual height and width of 15' x 15' - can be kept smaller with pruning
  • likes sun to part sun exposure with average soil and moderate water
  • flowers in the summer with small yellow blooms which give way to pink to bronze colored puffy smoke-like plumes


While I was thinking about it I took a look around for anything else in my garden that’s colored up red/orange. I almost included the blood grass (Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron') but since it’s always red that would be cheating. The big winner is the Parthenocissus quinquefolia, a hitchhiker that came along with some plants from my mom’s garden in Spokane. I tear out huge pieces of it all the time, lest it take over. Here it is picturesquely climbing across my neighbor’s garage (yes it originates in my garden) mixed in with the foliage of a clematis and her hops vine...

The only other bright color I found belongs to the fallen seed cones of the Magnolia macrophylla, which are starting to hit the ground with an audible thump.

They look like this when they fall, but then the seeds start to disappear.

Or like in this case the whole thing disappears! I placed a fallen cone here just yesterday, all that remains is the stem.

Anyway, back to that cotinus and a question…got a fall fav in your garden?

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

26 comments:

  1. Wow, that's beautiful. I planted a 'Royal Purple' in a large container this year. Unfortunately, the beautiful purple color soon turned to brownish green because of our heat and lack of humidity.

    No sign of fall color yet, but at least I have something to look forward to.

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    1. Here's hoping the leaves stay on long enough to turn.

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  2. I love your beautiful Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple' I wonder if they would grow in Houston. It is still too warm here for fall color. We are having a cool front today and it is beautiful and 72 right now. I can see in your photos how wet your garden is, such a drastic change from when we visited.

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    1. Wet yes, very wet. I stopped dumping my rain gauge out because it was depressing me to see how fast it filled up again.

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  3. The intensity of the colour is amazing, looking fluorescent even! I miss having a Cotinus in the garden now...

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    1. You're right, it's glowing right now (in the morning gloom), seemingly lit from within.

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  4. Your Cotinus is looking very bright this year. Mine has just started coloring up. My fall fave this year is a little Acer palmatum in a pot that seems to turn a different color every autumn. This year, it's brilliant orange.

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    1. A different color every year? That's fun.

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  5. I love the purple Cotinus and have been trying to identify a good place to try one in my garden. I don't know if we'd get the beautiful fall color of yours in our warmer climate but that would be a major boon, as fall color of any kind is in short supply here. My favorite this week is silver: http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2014/10/my-favorite-plant-this-week.html. Thanks for hosting, Loree!

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    1. Fall color is lovely but I'll take the sunshine any day....

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  6. Beautiful cotinus! I go back and forth on adding one to our garden--they look so pretty on garden blogs, but then when I see them in our neighborhood, they tend to be kind of lanky and unattractively shaped. How often do you prune yours to give it such a nice shape?

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    1. I agree there are some oddly shaped plants around town. Mine has had a bit of an identity crisis as it's been in the ground for 4 years but hasn't grown much, I've only pruned it just a bit and not until last spring. Thank you for saying it has a nice shape, I haven't been so sure!

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  7. Especially nice with the echoes in the borrowed landscape...and the Parthenocissus is grand as well. I've been enjoying my 'Purple Robe' and other flaming foliage, but they didn't rise to 'fave' status. This did: http://bannersbyricki.com/archives/4081

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  8. What beautiful colors on your Cotinus. My purple Cotinus just remains solid purple until the leaves drop.

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    1. Do you remember the huge cotinus I posted about a while back? (http://dangergarden.blogspot.com/2014/07/smokin-and-boozin.html) I thought to drive by yesterday in hopes of seeing it in colorful glory, nope. Just a dull dark purple. I wonder, they must not all color up? Or maybe mine is particularly glorious this year because it didn't get much water for the last few months? Curious.

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  9. The Cotinus really has maginificent color--I guess I didn't realize it could get that bright. And as you say, it echoes the colors in the neighbors' Sumac and Maples. Just lovely!

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    1. And the leaves are staying on much longer than the neighbors sumac too, a bonus!

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  10. I didn't remember the fall color of this cotinus was so incredible! It looks beautiful in your garden, resembling the colours from other plants in neighbour gardens.

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  11. What a sight! The brightness of the colours is incredible. What eats those seeds??

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    1. I wish I knew. We've got an army of squirrels in the area, and lots of birds too. I've never caught any of them in action though.

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    2. I saw squirrels for the first time in real life on our holiday this year. They were so quick and fascinating to watch. Here's my favourite

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    3. Squirrels and hummingbirds, two creatures I've grown up with and take for granted.

      (Amy's favorite: http://crmbsgrdn.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-favourite-plant-in-garden-this-week.html)

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  12. Your cotinus has such a nice color, Loree! My favorite plant last (and before last!) week was Leucosceptrum stellipilum 'Ogon' (http://tanyasgarden.blogspot.com/2014/11/leucosceptrum-stellipilum-ogon.html). I joined your meme. Thank you!

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