A Smoke Bush Unlike Any Other

Writen by Alan Summers

Smoke Bush 'Young Lady' Some people call them smoke trees; some people call them smoke bushes. They are dense and bushy; but they usually grow to about 15 feet tall. This week we are featuring a new smoke bush that is much more restrained in habit - a true bush, much easier to place in the landscape--Cotinus coggygria 'Young Lady.' Developed in the Netherlands by plantsman Henny Kolster, 'Young Lady' is unlike any other smoke bush that we have ever seen. It blooms as a young plant (hence the name) and blooms like crazy - the most prolific of all the smoke bushes. Nearly every shoot forms soft frothy pink flowers and the blooms repeat from late spring until frost. When planted in a pot, 'Young Lady' has been described as looking like a poodle in a pot!

'Young Lady' will reach four to six feet high and wide with loose and open, spreading branches. It can easily be maintained as a smaller shrub with pruning in very early spring. Its medium-sized leaves are a beautiful green color and turn superb blend of yellow, orange and red in the fall. 'Young Lady' will work well as an anchor in a perennial border, in a shrub border or in a container - especially attractive blooming all summer on a sunny deck.

Planting and Care

Prefers a location with full sun to light shade.

Prefers well-drained soil.

Fertilize with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal.

Removal of spent blooms encourages even more re-bloom.

Prune in very early spring, if needed.

Hardy in Zones 4-8.

Click here to view Smoke Bush 'Young Lady' on the Carroll Gardens website.

Alan Summers, president of Carroll Gardens, Inc., has over 30 years experience in gardening and landscape design. He has made Carroll Gardens one of America's preeminent nurseries, having introduced more than 20 new perennials and woody shrubs over the years and reintroduced numerous "lost" cultivars back to American gardeners.

Carroll Gardens publishes a weekly online newsletter written by Alan. It contains valuable gardening advice and tips and answers to customer questions. Click here to sign up for the Carroll Gardens weekly enewsletter.

Every Saturday, Alan hosts a call-in gardening forum on WCBM radio - 680 AM. For those outside of the WCBM listening area, they can listen to radio show via the internet.

Visit CarrollGardens.com to learn more.

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