Smokebush - Red Leaf Common
Red Leaf Common Smokebush, cotinus coggygria 'Red Leaf', is an upright and spreading form of Smokebush, which maintains it's red-purple color extremely well throughout summer, with panicles of smoky-purple to beige flowers blooming in mid-summer. This gives the effect of a cloud of smoke. It is a tough and tolerant shrub, requiring well-drained soil; and the Red Leaf Common Smokebush thrives in part to full sun. It tolerates considerable drought once it is established. With minimal pruning it will naturally form a large shrub or small tree over time. If pruned to 6 to 8 inches tall in winter, it will produce long stems with striking, oversized foliage. It makes a wonderful accent as a shrub border, can be planted as a specimen, or as a patio tree. May be pruned back hard in spring. Many people grow this shrub just for its vivid fall color. ... additional info
Rose of Sharon-Morning Star The Morning Star Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus Morning Star, is an upright, deciduous shrub that is a vigorous, erect, multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows 8-12' tall. This shrub may also be trained as a single trunk tree or espalier. Leaves are diamond-shaped, dark green, slightly palmate and toothed. 'Morning Star' bears grayish blue flowers with pinkish white eyes from late summer until mid-fall. This plant really requires no pruning, unless you need to remove a dead or damaged branch. It has a long, early summer to fall bloom period. This cultivar is a sterile triploid that produces very few if any seed pods. It is an excellent flowering shrub that may be massed, planted in groups, or used as a specimen. The plant is very tolerant of summer heat and humidity. Larger flowers may be obtained by pruning back hard to 2-3 buds in early spring. Otherwise, prune to shape.
