How to Grow and Care for a Smokebush: A Complete Gardener's Guide

Smokebushes do best in full sun but will be all right in partial shade. Heavy shade will cause them to grow slowly, if at all, and purple cultivars may start to revert to green in an attempt to efficiently harvest the little light that reaches them. They need soil that is adequately drained–no ponding or wet spots. Most soil types are suitable, provided there is drainage, and these shrubs are not picky about soil pH.

Smokebushes can get quite large and take over a corner or gap in the yard. They often reach 15 feet high and nearly as wide if left to their own devices. However, as discussed below, heavy pruning is a good way to keep them manageable and encourage more dense foliage. 

When to Plant Smokebush

Like many woody shrubs, smokebushes can be planted in spring or fall. Most of us buy them at the garden center in spring and plunk them into the ground shortly thereafter. If planting in autumn, try to get them in the ground as soon as the weather starts to cool and at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes so the roots can settle in. 

How to Plant Smokebush

Smokebushes are typically purchased as containerized stock from a nursery or garden center, however they are also available bare-root. For containerized stock, wait to plant them until the last frosts have finished in spring. If it was on display indoors, remember to harden it off. Plant bare-root smoke bushes as soon as possible in spring while the shrub is still dormant.

To plant containerized smokebush: 

• Water thoroughly while your smokebush is still in the pot.
• Dig the hole and prepare the site, removing stones, roots, turf, and weeds. The hole should have sloping sides similar to a bowl.
• Squeeze the edges of the plastic nursery pot to work the plant free from its container. Rolling it around on the ground while pressing down to deform the side of the pot works well.
• Trim any circling roots and score the edges of the rootball.
• Test fit the plant in the hole. The soil level of the plant’s rootball should match or be slightly higher than the surrounding ground. Loosen the bottom of the hole with your trowel. Dig or fill in as necessary.
• Replace the soil, applying light but firm pressure as you go to eliminate air pockets around the roots.
• Water deeply. If the water just runs off, form a small wall of soil around the plant in a ring.
• Add a layer of mulch but avoid piling it up around the stem. 

To plant bare-root smokebush:

• Prior to planting, soak the roots in a bucket of water for 1 to 2 hours.
• Prepare the planting site, digging a hole slightly deeper than the roots and 6 inches wider on all sides. You’ll need a hole large enough to spread the roots out when you plant.
• Test fit the smokebush in the hole and adjust the depth as necessary by adding or removing soil. Plant it with the crown just at or slightly higher than the surrounding ground level. A soil stain on the stem bark often indicates how deep it was grown at the nursery.
• Trim off any broken roots, spread them out, and fill in the soil. Take care to keep the shrubbery upright.
• When halfway filled, water the shrub, then continue filling the hole, pressing lightly but firmly to remove air pockets as you replace the soil.
• When finished, water again thoroughly.
• Apply a layer of mulch and stake if necessary.