The autumn leaf colour of the Smoke Bush is reliably spectacular and for this alone the plant deserves however much space it takes up. The specimen pictured has had no real care or input, it was planted and there it exists. However, you can manipulate these shrubs quite easily through hard annual (winter) pruning to throw out long straight growths that tend to have a larger leaf size than if it were left alone or merely clipped over whenever you get round to it. The larger leaf is a bonus especially in the purple leaved variety for this is a shrub grown for foliage over flowers, so this action maximises its main attribute. In deploying this technique I lose the flowering and the ‘smoke’ effect, but no big deal, once November arrives my head is turned and still I can’t quite believe it. Like all things, it has its season.
Tend&Grow 