<em>Cotinus coggygria</em> 'Royal Purple'

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ is an easy-to-grow and quite hardy selection. Its dramatic purple foliage make ‘Royal Purple’ a must-have in the garden.

Its dark, purple-red leaves contrast dramatically with other shrubs and perennials, and it’s spectacular as a specimen on its own. Tiny spring blooms change to lacey, plume-like seed clusters by summer, creating a cloud of “smoke” throughout the plant.

‘Royal Purple’ extends the spring-flowering tree season into the summer before the crape myrtles flower. This cultivar keeps its color all summer long. Fall color is usually a rich red-purple.

It can be grown as a multistem or single-stem tree.

Durability
It’s a tough and tolerant plant that thrives in full sun. The leaves are greener in shade and burgundy in full sun. It will grow asymmetrically and lean toward the light in a partially sunny area, so it is best to locate it in full-day sun where the crown will develop symmetrically.

It’s tolerant of most soils and does well in clay, loam, sand, acidic or alkaline. Make sure it’s a well-drained soil.

Water well during summer dry spells for the first few seasons; it is drought tolerant once it is established.

It’s hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8.

Uses
It is a small tree, well-adapted to urban areas and could be used along a street under power lines.

This deciduous tree is a moderate grower and reaches 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide at maturity.

It may be short lived (about 20 years), but its aesthetics more than make up for its life expectancy.

It sometimes has an awkward growth habit when young but sorts itself out within a few years. With minimal pruning

it will naturally form a large shrub or small tree. If pruned to 6 to 8 inches tall in winter, it will produce long stems with striking, oversized foliage. If cut back, fertilize and water it well to encourage lush growth.

The most serious disease is verticillium wilt, and entire branches will wilt and die. Prune out infected branches, fertilize and water the plant during dry weather. Stem canker can be a problem in the eastern United States.