Cotinus - Smoke Bush

My very favourite shrub Ptracey..I love the leaf ,,,,both sides, the smoke. I love it in sunshine and it is stunning in the rain. Easy to maintain...a perfect shrub. :)

another one i have - a real beauty

This was the first shrub (apart from Rhododendrons) that I planted as well...I now have another 2 :)
They are gorgeous aren't they :) They seem to 'go' with everything!

Thanks all - Yes this is one of the most gorgeous shrubs in my garden. Has anyone tried taking cuttings from it? I might give it a whirl!!!

I was given advice about cuttings from this by an experienced gardener who used to volunteer at Suntrap Garden here in Edinburgh.
I took a stem along as I was worried it had a disease - however, I was worrying over nothing :)))
He told me that when I got home to stick the stem I had into some compost or in a jar of water and it would take very easily. I tried it out in the compost. I did just that but think I must have binned the pot as I haven't seen it since :)))))
So other than being told they take easy - I can give you no other help I'm afraid Petaltracey. It won't cost you anything to give it a try will it :))))

Mine just keeps getting smaller! It stared off at about 18", then got belted with a snow shovel, then started dying back. He is now roughly 3" tall, with about 6 small leaves on, but hanging on in there! I shall be long gone by the time he makes a bush this big! Beautiful plants!

Poor Fred, Gattina :(

That's a shame Gattina :( They take ages to leaf up in my garden - which I suppose is a bonus because they don't get hit so much by the late frosts. I always thought they were quite fast growers too!
I take it Fred is your OH....if so.....good one P, I liked that :)

Gattina so wanted a Cottinus that when she found one over there, she named it Scottish.

Ptracey I have been looking in to this for Gattina and air layering is a good option.

I'm expecting a consignment of all the Cotinus cuttings you've all been doing for me to arrive with Fedex or UPS any day now, which is a shame, because the bl***y couriers, who are very lazy and can't be bothered to drive up our mountain always say they can't find our house to deliver anything, or the address doesn't exist, and stuff stays in the despatch centre for months!!!!!
Scottish, It was my OH who reduced poor Fred Cotinus to one tiny shattered stem with the snow shovel, trying to take the 24" of snow off the tops of pots back in February.

Hi All! Thanks for all your comments - I'm now determined to have a go at taking cuttings in both compost and water and I'll see if I can layer a stem or two sometime. Maybe when it stops raining??? It's 8.10am Midsummer's Day and it's raining Cats and Dogs... :o( I'm just so fed up with the weather