I don't know what grows well in your climate, and you didn't mention what the light level will be, so I can't suggest particular plants. But I would want something that blooms yellow or something with lime green foliage, to complement the purple.

I have Red Knockout Roses and Rozanne Geraniums around mine, with and Panicum Shenandoah (burgandy tipped leaves and very fine reddish seedheads) off to the side. Other plants in the area include very deep red daylilies, a large viburnum, and Red Prince Weigela. I keep mine as a cutback shrub and its size varies from year to year based on whatever whim hits me I'm standing there with the pruners.

I have purple agastache, salvia, ageratum and pink anemones in front and yellow iris on the back. However, the deer ate the smoke bush!

Cameron

the deer ate the smoke bush! they nibbled or ate the whole thing?

I am doing a semi-circle around mine of a cream colored daylily with a deep burgundy eye and Rosy Glow Barberry and very dark red mums for fall color.

Everything is so new, I can't say how it's going to look. I did compare the daylily to the summer foliage of the smoke bush 'Grace' and liked it.

She's in NJ, guys. I have a royal purple smoke bush tree that's about eight feet tall. I really like the way certain purplish pinks and clear whites look with it. I like growing smaller clematis into it for spring bloom, and late in the season, I think it looks nice with joe pye weed flowers (a smaller cultivar than what I'm growing would be ideal).

along with the clematis and joe pye weed suggested by dirtdiver, my suggestions are a burgundy leafed or flowering o. grass, echinacea, sedum, bee balm and jupiter's beard. i like to grow pinks and burgundy together. i also like to grow plants that (in time) will be drought tolerent and attract wildlife. most of these plants are drought tolerent in my garden.

joyce

The deer ate all of the leaves and the blooms on my purple smoke bush, which is around 3 feet high (they can reach all of it). After 3 years of it, I'm ready to pull it out and replace it with a chaste tree.

Cameron

oh cameron! that's soooo frustrating! the deer steer clear of my chaste tree, but it's not as pretty as my smoke bush. but i know the feeling, i've pulled a lot of plants i love from my garde on account of the deer.

I have Hosta Sum & Substance in front of my smoke bush. The chartreuse going yellow leaves, plus the size of those leaves I think is a nice complement to the purple of the smoke bush.

Alexis

peg, do add your zone to your i.d. (see my separate thread).

for shrub companions, i suggest plants that give you more than 1 season of interest(the callicarpa is very time limited in appeal) such as: blue conifers, yellow conifers or shrubs,or varieg foliage shrubs.i have a number of these cotinus; some successful pairings are:
cornus ivory halo,
blue spruce
golden weigela or philadelphus or berberis
clematis Henryii (white) growing up it
eupatorium gateway
miscanthus strictus and varieg.

for flowers, i agree w/ the mauve, clear pink,lemon yellow,and white palate but if you want to go BOLD, do crocosmia Lucifer growing up through the middle of it!

best,
mindy

My smoke bush grew up to the second storey window this year! It really looks great this time but I think I'll tame it a bit next year. Those are Becky daisies in front of it and clematis Alionushka growing into it on the left.

{{gwi:174443}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Clematis Alionushka