A specimen for the Botanical Ark
Stopping to smell the flowers

Arlene Marturano

Arlene Marturano is a master gardener, writer, and educator. As an advocate of gardening as a tool for learning, she helped develop the Carolina Children's Garden at the Sandhill Research and Education Center. She is an education consultant with T.E.A.C.H.

marturano@yahoo.com

Some gardeners collect single specimens of favorites to add to the landscape. They are often teased for acting like a child in a candy store who wants one of each. These botanical ark gardeners may be criticized for the lack of coherence or focus in the garden. In their defense, the world is full of so many tempting and lovely stray specimens awaiting adoption; why not give the plant a home that appreciates its characteristics.

Another specimen worthy of their collection is the ethereal smoke tree, which originated in the southeastern United States, Cotinus obovatus and Europe, Cotinus coggygria, a sun- loving petite tree (12- 15' in height), a must for any garden. The blue- green foliage of this native tree is aromatic when crushed.

The Smoke Tree is a spectacular accent tree in three seasons, and the smokey mauve cloud comes from the spent flowers.

Purple- leaved varieties are available in the European smoke tree. The blossoms of the tree are tiny, insignificant dioecious yellow-green flowers. The tree derives its name and fame from the 6-10" long panicles of spent flowers that appear like pink or mauve puffs of hazy smoke and billowy clouds in late spring and early summer.

In fall, the leaves of the American smoke tree offer one of the best fall color displays of any native tree with yellow, orange, red, and purple phases. In fall, the fruit appears, a drupe with one seed.

Homeowners use the deciduous ornamental in borders and mass plantings and as a spectacular accent tree. Municipalities have found the tough tree useful for parking lot islands, for buffer strips around parking lots, and as a sidewalk tree in urban areas where air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil and drought are common.

The extremely hardy tree tolerates soil of any pH. The smoke tree is drought tolerant, deer resistant, and requires little care. A side dress of compost in fall is recommended. Pest and disease problems are minimal. Verticillium wilt can be a problem. Purple leaf varieties are susceptible to powdery mildew.

The tree can be propagated by seed but the surest method of propagation is to take softwood cuttings in spring.

To add the tree to your botanical ark, visit Forest Farm, Nature Hills Nursery or Whitman Farm online.