Hi Connie, I am not in Edmonton but in Winnipeg. I had smoke bush, some generic variety of it, growing at my previous house. It was on the south side of the house near the foundation. My neighbors have it in a flower bed in the middle of their lawn. Anyway, for me it behaved like a die-back perennial. The branches were killed almost to the ground over winter, but it comes back/starts growing near the base and would grow to about a 2 or 3 foot high shrub that same year. The older it got the more growth it seemed to get in the summer. I would say just plant it in the flower bed or where ever you want it and pile a mound of snow over it in winter for insulation. You can also try piling leaves/wood chips/peat moss or what have you over the centre of the plant for winter to insulate the part near the ground.

conniepr, I am going to do just the same this year!

I had a golden cotinus before - it was absolutely gorgeous! But it only lasted 2 years. Also, it only got to be like just over a foot tall or so LOL. Still, it was so lovely that I was happy to have had it for even just two happy years :-)

Now, I am trying a purple one! It's supposed to be hardier than the golden variety. So let's see what happens.... interestingly, I see that in many places now, they have listed the purple one as a zone 4 plant. Since Calgary and Edmonton are now officially in zone 4, maybe we are in luck!? LOL

Oh, BTW, I bought the purple continus from some clearance sale last year. I overwintered it just in its own black pot last year in my garage. I gave it some occasional snow for moisture. It did just fine :-)

I'm so torn about what to do. I love the bush, and some websites did list it as good to Zone 4. But the Weather Network zone chart lists my area as 2b and the US chart lists us as 3b. I do grow lots of zone 4 plants and some of them do like Glen has reported. My purple leaf sand cherry shrubs never get more than 3 feet because they die back so hard each winter. Even lost one completely one winter.

I guess if someone in Winnipeg can grow it, I should be able to. Even if it only ever grows to three feet, I'll still get to enjoy seeing it each year.

Thanks for your responses!

I live in Edmonton and I have 2 smoke bush plants in my yard. The east facing one has to be pruned at least twice annually, the west seems to struggle and has had dieback most years.

Keith, that's good to know! Thanks. How big are the bushes now and how long have they been there for? Are they in any protected location at all? Thx again.

The one facing east is about 5', the one facing west is about 2.5-3

The east facing one is next to a Chalet Swiss pine but that is it for protection.

Good to know. Thanks! I've got mine (in it's pot still) sitting under another shrub that is top heavy and thinking it might help protect the smaller shrub. It faces south, though.