Smokebush 'Royal Purple'

Royal Purple Smokebush is a large shrub with leaves that emerge maroon-red in spring, mature to deep wine-purple by summer before finally turning reddish-orange in fall. The flowers are small and fairly inconspicuous, but are carried on pinkish-purple plumes that appear to float around the plant like smoke, hence the common name. 

Smokebushes are late to leaf out in the spring, give them time! They are also prone to branch dieback over winter but recover quite quickly once the growing season starts after the dead wood is removed. 

Smokebushes grow best in full sun with average, well-drained soils. The appreciate regular moisture during the summer but are quite drought tolerant once they establish. Smokebushes are not fussy about soil types as long as they have good drainage.