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General |
Branches with red leaves in AUGUST - OCTOBER. |
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Planting distance |
: 80 x 75 |
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Quantity per metre |
: 1.67 |
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Soil type |
: All types of soil |
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Winter hardiness |
: Excellent, if pruned in the correct way |
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Characteristics |
: A good shrub for cutting, unfortunately susceptible to verticillium (especially on potato soils and in damp locations), preliminary handling required. |
The cotinus is a beautiful, fall-colored, woolly shrub with a purple-red glow that provides its surroundings with a warm fall-like atmosphere. The cotinus comes from the wig tree family and is therefore also called wig tree. They are large, deciduous shrubs that, due to their size, look a lot like trees. In addition to their warm appearance in fall times, the shrubs also look stunning during the months of June and July, when the plant forms flowers. The flowers of this shrub have a wig-like look and confirm their place in the wig tree family. A beautiful addition to garden and parks for the fall as well as the summer.
A winter plant with fall-like flowering period
This brown-leafed selection comes from southern Europe and Asia and grows approximately 250 to 300 centimeters tall and just as wide. Because of its size, the shrub is often confused with a tree. The wig tree blossoms with reddish flowers from June to July, but also has yellow and orange flowers, depending on the season. You can recognize the shrub by its woolly plumes that can grow 15 to 30 centimeters tall and eventually produce (yellow) flowers. The leaves of the wig tree have a waxy structure, have an oval shape and are red in color until the leaves turn orange in fall. The Cotinus is a classic hardy plant.
Planting and the best location for the wig tree
The wig tree grows best in a sunny, warm and sheltered place in the garden. The more sunlight the wig tree receives, the more abundant this fall shrub will flower. In addition, the soil must be well-drained and have enough lime and humus. The plant can also survive on a poor soil, but this is generally not recommended, as the wig tree is no strong grower and needs at least ten years to reach a modest height of 200 centimeters. The wig tree needs plenty of space when you plant it.
Garden advice: low-maintenance and a sturdy asset for the garden.
The wig tree requires little maintenance as long as dead or damaged branches are cut in spring. Pruning the wig tree more often results in less flower growth, but also in increased leaf growth. However, it is wiser to wait with pruning until about three years have passed, because the wig tree is very sensitive to pruning.
The shrub may not need much pruning, but attention must be paid to the soil conditions. Too wet a soil can lead to drainage and fungal diseases, but this generally occurs only rarely. Due to its strong structure, insects and disease have little impact on this plant. All in all, this is a plant requiring little maintenance, and a robust asset for the garden.
