Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Dwarf Smokebush

Description:

Beautiful burgundy leaves and billowy puffs of gray to pink 'smoke' cover this small, dwarf variety in summer; excellent as a small landscape accent or in patio containers; brilliant red-orange fall color

Ornamental Features

Velveteeny™ Purple Smokebush features airy panicles of pink flowers with gray overtones at the ends of the branches from early to late summer. It has attractive burgundy foliage with hints of pink. The round leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of red and orange in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Velveteeny™ Purple Smokebush is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Velveteeny™ Purple Smokebush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Velveteeny™ Purple Smokebush will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Velveteeny™ Purple Smokebush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.