American smoketree is a moderate growing, upright large shrub or multi-stemmed small tree, growing about 15 to 25 feet tall and about half as wide. It gets its common name not from the flower clusters that bloom in June, but from the billowy hairs attached to spent flowers which turn a smoky pink to purplish pink in summer. Bluish green leaves are round to oval, and turns a variety of colors in the fall (including yellow, red, orange and reddish purple), and produces some of the best fall color of any of the native American trees and shrubs.
Grow in well-drained soil in full sun. Adaptable to wide range of soils, including poor rocky soils, but prefers well-drained, somewhat infertile loams. Pruning is necessary to maintain a tree-like canopy, but if you are using this in its more shubby habit, maintenance is minimal.