| Common Name | Golden Spirit Smokebush |
| Botanical Name | Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’ |
| Plant Type | Deciduous shrub |
| Hardiness Zone | 5-8 |
| Mature Size | 8-10 ft tall, 8-10 ft wide |
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Soil | Well-drained, average to poor |
| Bloom Time | Summer (smoky plumes) |
| Foliage Color | Chartreuse-gold, turns coral/orange in fall |
| Deer Resistant | Yes |
Why Golden Spirit for Wisconsin
Most smokebush varieties have purple foliage. Golden Spirit flips that with bright chartreuse-gold leaves that practically glow in the landscape. In fall, the foliage shifts through coral, orange, and red tones. The feathery “smoke” plumes appear in summer, giving the shrub its common name. Hardy to Zone 5, it handles our winters and comes back strong.
Planting Instructions
When: Spring after frost danger passes.
Where: Full sun for the brightest gold. Part shade works but color will be more lime-green. Avoid wet sites.
How: Don’t amend the soil much. Smokebush actually performs better in lean, well-drained soil. Rich soil produces lanky growth.
Care Throughout the Season
Spring: New gold foliage emerges. Prune to shape if needed. You can cut back hard to a low framework each spring for more compact growth and larger leaves (but you’ll sacrifice the smoke plumes).
Summer: Feathery plumes develop on unpruned plants. Low water needs once established.
Fall: The color show. Gold turns to coral, orange, and red.
Winter: Bare branch structure. Can die back to the roots in severe winters but typically resprouts vigorously.
Common Problems in Wisconsin
Winter dieback: In harsh Zone 5b winters, stems may die back partially. Prune dead wood in spring. The plant typically recovers from the roots. A sheltered location helps.
Verticillium wilt: Smokebush is susceptible. Avoid planting where tomatoes, peppers, or other Verticillium-susceptible plants have grown recently.
Companion Planting
Summer Wine Ninebark (dark purple against the gold is striking). Blue Star Juniper for year-round blue-green contrast. Catmint at the base. Ornamental grasses for movement.
Design and Landscape Uses
Specimen plant, mixed shrub border, or grouped for a colorful screen. The gold foliage makes it a focal point wherever you put it. Plant against a dark background (evergreens, dark fence) for maximum impact. Can be coppiced (cut to 12 inches annually) for a compact, multi-stemmed form with extra-large leaves.
Fun Fact
The “smoke” in smokebush comes from the fine, hair-like filaments on the spent flower clusters. These create a fuzzy, smoke-like appearance that’s most visible in mid to late summer. Golden Spirit was selected in the Netherlands by Piet Cuypers and introduced under the cultivar name ‘Ancot.’
Golden Spirit Smokebush is available at our Cedarburg nursery.