See this shrub in in its wispy flowering finery, or its fiery autumn colours, and you'll understand why it is loved by so many gardeners. Even when it's not putting on a special display, Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' is a beautiful sight with its neat form and rounded rich purple leaves. It's the feathery, smoke-like flowers, pink in summer and turning tan in autumn, which give the plant its popular name of the Smoke Bush. This large, deciduous shrub is easy to grow in almost any soil and thrives in sun or shade. It can be allowed to grow unchecked, or alternatively can be pruned hard every few years to keep it as a smaller shrub with larger leaves. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height and spread: 5m (16').