Cotinus ‘Dusky Maiden’

Description

Cotinus coggygria ‘Dusky Maiden’ is without doubt a star of any garden, we really like ‘Dusky Maiden’, not just because it has a cool name, but because its foliage comprises of oval leaves up to 10cm long which range in colour from deep dark green through to bright purple-pink.  It’s very bushy yet compact, reaching around 1.5m high.  If that’s not enough, during mid-summer, large plumes of fluffy purple-red tiny flowers are produced, looking like hazy puffs of pinky-purple smoke hovering above the foliage.  Sometimes known as a Smoke Bush, when you see a mature Cotinus flowering, you will understand why; it really is a lovely sight.

If all this isn’t enough, during late summer though to autumn, the leaves change coilour again, a mixture of bright oranges and reds until they finally drop.

Cotinus coggygria ‘Dusky Maiden’ is very hardy preferring a sunny position in any reasonably well-drained fertile soil.  From experience we have noted it is also happy in breezy conditions, tolerating coastal conditions well.