'Royal Purple' smokebush is a popular landscape shrub with much to recommend it: autumn foliage colour, drought-tolerant when established and a smoky-appearing inflorescence, to name a few. Part of my reason for enjoying it is that it is in one of my favourite plant families, the Anacardiaceae, and is therefore related to mango, cashew and poison ivy (a plant I admire, but from a distance).
In local news, there is a lecture tonight (link includes event details) with Peter Valder. I met Peter when I was in Sydney a few years ago, and he's warm and funny – I expect his lecture will be very entertaining. If you get a chance to go, I do recommend it. Please also note that he is giving a different lecture on Thursday evening in Seattle (click on the link with his name).
Just saying hello and sending a link to a post with the photo of the flowering shrub here in the Botanical Garden of Oporto:
http://dias-com-arvores.blogspot.com/2005/07/rvore-do-fumo.html
Thanks for your daily photos and links: really inspiring.
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' - Z5 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' - Z5-8 - A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Brickell, Cole, Zuk
Following on Daniel's posting of the Peter Valder lecture tonight - tickets are available at the door.
Thanks Manuela!
Beautiful photo - the Royal purple smoke bush has to be my favourite plant (closely followed by Clematis). However, I'm a new gardener and have a lot yet to learn and discover! I'm trying to find out as much about the plants we have so I can look after them properly. Our smoke bush seems to be doing very well though, so quite proud about that! :)