Cotinus coggygria Native to the rolling hills of the Mediterranean, this luring beauty is a tree that ignites curiosity. It is one of the most arresting shrubs available to gardeners today. As the name denotes, the smoketree is a tree (or shrub) with wispy filaments that resemble haze or smoke. Traditionally, the smoketree was a source for clothing dye because of the powerful chemicals found in the sap. The species was almost driven to extinction during the Civil War when…
