Soft Purple-Red Foliage and Enormous Smoky Plumes on a Bold Hybrid

Grace Smokebush (Cotinus 'Grace') is a vigorous hybrid celebrated for its large, soft purple-red leaves, exceptionally big and showy smoky pink plumes in summer, and a spectacular fall display of orange, red, and purple. Bigger and more billowy than the common smokebush, it makes a dramatic specimen or screen. Whether you're anchoring a large sunny border in Edina, creating a focal point in Woodbury, or building a bold seasonal screen in Maple Grove — Grace brings big color and texture to zone 4b–5a yards.

Grace Smokebush Plant Details

Grace Smokebush Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Dramatic specimen and screen

Grace's size and huge plumes make it a showstopping specimen or a billowy seasonal screen at the back of a large border in Edina or Plymouth.

Outstanding fall color

Its multicolored autumn display — orange, red, and purple together — is among the best of any smokebush.

Tough, deer-resistant sites

Drought-tolerant and deer-resistant, it thrives in hot, dry, poor-soil spots while delivering big color.

Best Time to Plant Grace Smokebush in Minnesota

Fall (late August–early October) is the ideal planting window. Soil is still warm for root development, cool air reduces transplant stress, and the plant gets 6–8 weeks to establish roots before ground freeze (typically mid-November in the Twin Cities).

Spring (late April–May, after the ground thaws) is the second-best window, giving the shrub a full season to establish before its first winter.

Avoid summer planting (June–August) when possible. Never plant after mid-October or before late April — frozen ground or frost-heaving kills new roots.

How to Plant Grace Smokebush

1. Dig wide, not deep — 2–3× the root ball width, same depth as the container.
2. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot for the best color; it tolerates poor, dry soil but dislikes soggy ground.
3. Backfill with native soil mixed with some compost; firm gently and water in well.
4. Give it room — 10–15 feet — as a specimen, or plan to prune for a smaller shrub.
5. Build a water basin the first season; flatten it before winter.
6. Mulch 2–3 inches with shredded bark, kept off the stems. For the biggest leaves, cut back hard in early spring (at the cost of some plumes).

Watering Grace Smokebush in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1–2: Every 2–3 days, deep and slow
• Month 1–2: Every 4–5 days
• Month 3–6: Every 7 days or less; it tolerates dry conditions well
• Stop watering 2–3 weeks before ground freeze (typically late October in the Twin Cities metro).

After Year One

Established smokebush is drought-tolerant and needs water only during extended dry spells. It prefers lean, well-drained conditions over rich, wet soil.

Drip Irrigation in Minnesota

If used, place emitters 12–18 inches from the trunk; it needs less water than most shrubs. Always winterize the system — blow out the lines before freeze and shut timers off by early October.

How big does Grace get?

It's a large smokebush — 10–15 feet unpruned as a small tree, or kept 6–8 feet shrubby with a hard spring cutback.

What's the fall color like?

Outstanding — a blend of orange, red, and purple, among the best of any smokebush.

Is it deer-resistant?

Yes — smokebush is generally passed over by deer.

Will it survive a Minnesota winter?

It's hardy to about zone 4. In the coldest, most open winters it may die back, then rebound vigorously on new growth.

You May Also Like

• Royal Purple Smokebush — the classic deep-purple smokebush
• Golden Spirit Smokebush — a golden-leaved smokebush for bright contrast
• Shop the full Three Timbers Minnesota catalog — zone 4-hardy plants hand-selected for Twin Cities yards

How Many Grace Smokebush Do I Need?

For a billowy seasonal screen along a property line, space Grace about 8 feet on center — it matures 8–12 feet wide, so plants merge into a tall, soft wall of foliage.

As a specimen — how most yards use it — give it a clear 10–12 ft circle, or keep it 6–8 ft shrubby with a hard spring cutback in tighter spots.

Grace Smokebush Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Large, soft purple-red leaves unfurl fast — this vigorous hybrid puts on size quickly, especially after a hard spring cutback.
• Summer: Exceptionally large smoky-pink plumes billow above the foliage — the biggest, showiest "smoke" of any smokebush we carry.
• Fall: A spectacular blend of orange, red, and purple all at once — among the best fall displays of any large shrub for zone 4.
• Winter: A bold, upright small-tree silhouette; in the harshest open winters some branches may die back, then rebound vigorously on new growth.

At a Glance

✔ Deer-Resistant   ✔ Drought-Tolerant

Plant It With

• Royal Purple Smokebush — the body's classic pick; deeper, darker purple beside Grace's softer red tones.
• Golden Spirit Smokebush — glowing gold foliage for maximum contrast in a smokebush trio.
• Lilla Smokebush — a compact purple smokebush to carry the theme at the front of the bed.
• Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass — upright golden plumes that echo Grace's airy texture at ground level.

Is Grace Smokebush Right for Your Yard?

It's right for big, sunny, well-drained spaces — back-of-border anchors, property-line screens, hot dry slopes — where you want a fast 10–15 ft showpiece that deer pass over. It's not a fit for small foundation beds or low, wet ground: it needs real room (or annual hard pruning) and hates wet feet, and the coldest open winters can knock back some branches.