My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Smokebush deer resistant?

Cotinus coggygria

Smoky flower panicles of smokebush
Photo by Alexander Dunkel, CC BY-SA 2.5. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Full sun
Height
120–180 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Low

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Smokebush

The smoke is not flowers but the hairy stalks left behind after they fade. You have to choose: cut it hard each spring for the best purple foliage and get no smoke, or leave it alone for smoke and accept smaller leaves. It needs poor dry soil, and rich ground gives soft growth that flops.

Soil and care

Soil pH
6 to 7.5
Drainage
Well drained
Water
Low
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Moderate
Maintenance
Low

Similar to Smokebush

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Smokebush grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — hardy here. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Hardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Smokebush

Is Smokebush deer resistant?
Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Smokebush grow in?
Smokebush is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Smokebush grow in shade?
No. Smokebush wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
How big does Smokebush get?
Mature height is roughly 120–180 in. Growth rate is moderate.

Browse from here

Every list Smokebush belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Full sun plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .