STAR OF THE MONTH

Cotinus coggygria

We do not pause often enough to properly appreciate how much a good deciduous shrub can contribute to a winter border. They have neither leaf nor flower at this time of year, but that is no reason to dismiss them as dull and walk on searching for an evergreen. Look at this – in summer, cotinus has a very alluring purple leaf interspersed with puffy plumes of pale pink flowers, hence its common name of smoke bush. Those glories are long faded, but we are left with a skeleton that even the most jaded among you cannot fail to admire.

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer. Prune if necessary in winter or early spring. Height x Spread 5m x 5m