Illustration
American Smoketree
Cotinus obovatus
Also called american smoke tree, american smokewood, texas smoke tree and wild smoke tree
American Smoketree blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing American Smoketree
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–8. Expect it to reach about 17 ft tall and 17 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 15 years (a house reading).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant American Smoketree
Plant American Smoketree in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 8, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does American Smoketree get?
17 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult17 ftwideSee American Smoketree in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant American Smoketree
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give American Smoketree about 17 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add American Smoketree to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
American Smoketree's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 8 published sources on September 26, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- Plant Addictsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil and pests
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterNative Plant Databaseheight, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- The Morton Arboretumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil and diseases
- Chicago Botanic GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Plants For A Futureheight, spread, hardiness zones, water, trait tags, soil and toxicity
- journals.flvc.orgUF/IFAS Extension EDIS (Gilman and Watson, ENH367/ST208)height, bloom months and color and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about American Smoketree
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Related to poison ivy; contact with the resinous sap may cause contact dermatitis, especially in people already sensitive to poison ivy. Wear gloves when pruning. per NC State
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.