The willow tree is a real eye-catcher in the garden and also completely easy to care for. However, a special fungus can cause problems for the plant.
The deciduous smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) looks great in your own garden, especially in autumn. The ornamental tree not only attracts everyone's attention with its lush infructescence, but also with its bright red foliage - both in the bucket and in the bed. The amount of hobby gardening attention that this plant demands from its new owner is also rather low. The plant, which belongs to the sumac family, is also known by the following names:
- Sweet Smoke Tree
- Wig Tree
- Schmack
- Fisettholz
- Sumach
- Tyrolean Sumac
- Hungarian Sumac
- Venetian Sumac
The designation as wig tree is appropriate in that the puffed up and at the same time rather filigree infructescence, which completely covers the shrub from the month of July, does in fact have something hairy or wig-like about it.
More details about smoke bush
This shallow-rooted shrub is medium-sized and can be described as both sparse and spreading. Not only the panicle-like flowers make the shrub an ornament in the garden. The scarlet to orange-red autumn leaves also contribute to this. Therefore, the smoke tree can also be found in many parks, although the plant does not only fulfill a purely decorative function. Because of the red coloring, some shrubs of this species can even be used to dye leather and fabrics. The reddish colored wood and the leaves of the bush are preferably used for this.
However, there are also green-leaved species of the smoke tree and a subspecies in black and red. Irrespective of the color of the bush, the smoke bush shoots always have a sickle-shaped bend in the vertical. At a height of up to eight meters and with a width of up to four meters, the wig tree looks quite impressive. Every year the shrub gains between 30 and 40 centimeters in height, whatall hobby gardeners should therefore keep in mind when planting the ornamental plant in their own garden. After all, this is a fast-growing tree.
The size of the inflorescences depends on the species of smoke bush. It can sometimes be only ten to 15 or 15 to 20 centimeters. In this country, the plant can overwinter outdoors without any problems, even in icy temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius below zero. This applies in particular to adult smokebrush plants, which have proven to be extremely robust and therefore do not cause any work for all hobby gardeners in winter or when preparing for the cold season.
Occurrence of Smoke Tree
The smoke smoke tree does not only feel at home in Europe. Rather, this plant species also occurs in the following regions:
- Mediterranean Area
- China
- Pakistan
- Nepal
- India
- Asia Minor
When does the smoke bush bloom?
While the wig tree impresses with its bright autumn leaves, the blossom is rather unspectacular. It takes place between June and July. If the smoke smoker is in a sheltered location, the flowering period can last from May to August.
What to do if the willow tree doesn't bloom?
What to do when smokebrush won't flower depends mostly on the specific cause of the problem. The following list gives advice:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Overly acidic soil | Lime the floor |
| Waterlogging | Water less and transplant the willow tree if necessary |
| Inappropriate location | Move Smoke Tree to a more favorable location |
| Young plant | Patience! It can take several years until the first flowering |
How to plant the willow tree correctly
❍ Location:
In terms of the perfect location, the wig tree is comparatively undemanding. Therefore, the tree itself can be planted on a roof garden or in a bucket on a patio. Whether it is a lean and rather dry soil or a very nutrient-rich soil, the smoke bush is almost impossible to break down. However, if it is a red-leaved smoke tree, sufficient sun must be provided so that the plant can thrive magnificently. A planting location in full sun is therefore a must.
Too muchShade, on the other hand, would result in stunted growth. Then the smoke smoker does not produce enough flowers and leaves that are not sufficiently small, so that the number of infructescences, which is characteristic of the plant's appearance in autumn, would also not be sufficient.
❍ Bottom:
While the wig tree does not mind the typical urban climate, there are some particularly poor soils that should be properly prepared before planting the shrub there. The following list provides the corresponding expert tips:
- Sand and fine gravel should be added to a very loamy substrate
- Conventional garden soil is usually sufficient for the willow tree
- Even a moderate concentration of nutrients is perfectly sufficient for the willow tree
- Stony soils are only suitable for planting smoke smokers if they are sufficiently calcareous
- Sufficient soil permeability must be ensured
- The selected location should be of sufficient size
❍ Plants:
A smoke bush can be planted in your own garden both in spring and in autumn. The ideal planting distance must be observed. This amounts to half the growth width that is to be expected depending on the smoke shrub subspecies. Not only the solitary planting is conceivable. Rather, a smoke bush in the garden comes into its own alongside the following plants:
- Privet hedge
- Summer Asters
- marigolds
- Conifers
- Jewelry Basket
- Woolly Snowball
- Laburnum
- Kolkwitzie
The willow tree can even be included in a hedge. However, it is precisely then that it is important that a sufficiently large planting distance is left free. After all, bushes two meters wide are not uncommon.
How to properly care for the willow bush
❍ Fertilizer and care:
The smoke smoker presents itself as a fairly uncomplicated fellow, not only in terms of the planting soil, but also in terms of its care. As soon as the infructescences have withered at the end of autumn or beginning of winter, they can be cut back. Only small shrubs that have just been planted should be watered sufficiently, especially in hot temperatures. Young smoke bushes can also benefit from winter protection. Because even if this plant is basically hardy, it makes sense ifyoung plants should be protected from very severe frosts as they are not quite as robust yet. By the way, all hobby gardeners can do without fertilizing their wig trees.
❍ Pruning:
The willow bush tolerates pruning very well. This can be done at any time throughout the year. However, it is sufficient if the willow tree is thinned out normally. A radical cut therefore only makes sense in the following cases:
- on shrubs that have been pruned very little or not at all
- at old wig bushes
Anyone who radically cuts back their willow bush must be prepared for the fact that it will not bloom next year. If pruning can be avoided, this is recommended. Because the wig tree easily develops its typical shape without the intervention of a hobby gardener. If only individual shoots of the bush are corrected, this will not damage the plant.
❍ Propagation:
Propagating the willow tree shouldn't be too much of a challenge for most hobby gardeners. This is best done in the spring with the help of sinkers. This requires a side shoot of the shrub, which then has to be sunk into the ground. The tip of the shoot should protrude about 30 centimeters from the ground.
If you want to ensure that the new willow tree grows as quickly as possible, it is best to use a special rooting hormone. Transplanting the young plant is only recommended from autumn. If you want to propagate the wig tree by sowing, you can do so from October. However, this procedure is often not crowned with success, so that propagation with reducers is an option. This type of smoke bush propagation works particularly well if you consider the following tips:
- One or two year old shoots should be used
- Tie the shoot tip to a stick for safety
- The soil around the shoot should always be sufficiently moist
- The shoots can only be transplanted after successful rooting
Diseases and Pests
Although the wig tree is fairly easy to care for, the ornamental plant is unfortunately susceptible to a fungus called Verticillium wilt. An infestation can be recognized by the following signs:
- Slow Growth
- Withered Leaves
This is mainly due to the fact that the fungus grows mainly in the area of the water channels of theshrub wide. A drastic pruning is therefore recommended. This should not only take place in the wood, but also in the root area. If this does not help, unfortunately the entire shrub has to be destroyed. The same applies to the surrounding earth, where the fungus has most likely spread as well.
Even if fungal infestation cannot be completely avoided, optimal culture conditions ensure a significantly lower probability of infestation. Mildew can only become an additional problem with the red-leaved varieties of the smoke tree. In order to combat this pest as best as possible, all hobby gardeners can take the following targeted measures:
- Mix one part fresh milk and nine parts water - spray the smoke bush generously with this mixture three times a week
- Use sulphur-based fungicides with caution
- Use a broth of water and aged compost to control pests
- It makes sense to cut back a few affected areas
In the case of a powdery mildew infestation, it is best if the smoke bush is only watered in the early morning. If an infestation has occurred, no plants that are also susceptible to powdery mildew may be planted near the wig tree for the next four years. This primarily refers to plants of the same genus. In addition, it is important to loosen the soil before replanting and enrich it with humus. If the soil is too heavy and too often too wet, this is the ideal climate for powdery mildew. However, robust and strong willow bushes can often assert themselves against a mild mildew infestation without any outside help.
Is the smoke bush poisonous?
This is a question that all hobby gardeners with children or pets who also have free range in their own garden will ask themselves. In fact, the smoke tree is a poisonous plant. Contact with the shrub can sometimes irritate the skin. Therefore, wearing gloves when gardening is very useful. There are also smoke bush species that are free of the contact poison mentioned.
The red shrub varieties in particular, which are widespread in specialist shops, either do not contain the contact poison just mentioned at all or only in negligibly small amounts. It is therefore important that all hobby gardeners should exercise caution when cutting the wig bush. In addition areGloves are also recommended because the wood of the shrub can otherwise stain. Anyone who has reacted to contact with the smoke bush with skin irritations can use a soothing ointment. These ointments are also available in pharmacies without a prescription and help the painful irritation and redness to subside much more quickly.