Smoke Tree Wilt?
By Colin421
United Kingdom 
Yesterday I saw my tree i a very distressed state - all the leaves and smaller branches with the wilt.
Today I read in The Daily Telegraph that the oak and beech are subjectto sudden death syndrome if they are in contact with the rhodedendron?
Is this true with C. coggyria - as we had a rhodedendron in a pot next to it - this pot I put there about a month ago. Needless to say I have now moved it.
Should I do anything to the Smoke Tree meanwhile?
It is fairly wet - where isn't !
Used no weedkiller.
Inside the stem the colour is light khaki.
I have cut it back severely and keep my fingers crossed
On plant
C. coggygria
12 Aug, 2008
Answers
There hasn't been any weedkiller around, has there? to happen so suddenly all over the shrub seems strange, otherwise.
12 Aug, 2008
If it is what I suspect, you will lose your plant very quickly.
To confirm the worst, cut off a length of stem which is long and thick enough for you to pare it to along the core. You need to have a length of core open about 2" long. If it's white and healthy, your plant might survive but if it's brown it's doomed. If the latter don't compost any part of it as it could infect your plants in the future.
12 Aug, 2008
I would cut the plant back hard all over give it a fed and you may get new growth. Burn the cuttings. If it doesn't recover make sure you dig it out completely.
13 Aug, 2008
I doubt very much that your pot contained Rhode would have any affect on a Cotinus and unless you have brown patches on the leaves it is not carrying Phytophthora. All Rhodes, Azaleas and Viburnums are passported (traceable) now to stop the spread of this disease so rest assured it is unlikely to have it.
Cotinus are normally such easy shrubs to grow. The one thing they really don't like is wet soil. Could this be the problem?
12 Aug, 2008