Pruning Smoke bush (cotinus)

Hi all,

I have two smoke bushes that I pruned into trees. They've become unwieldy (currently over 15' tall/wide at the top), and I'm looking to turn them back into bushes. I've read that I can stool these / cut them almost to the ground and they'll come back with exuberance (minus smoke for the first year, fine with me).

Wondering if I can do this now/soon (preferable), or if I should wait until spring? And any advice about how far off the ground I should go would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom

 

I'd go ahead and do it as soon as the leaves have dropped off. If you leave it for the winter there is a chance the snow will take it down for you in a not-so-nice way. If you cut it pretty close to the ground (couple inches up maybe), more of the new shoots will come out at soil level vs. growing out of the stump itself, so it will look more natural as the stump gets hidden in time. But whatever you choose to do, it will grow back!

 

Thanks so much, saw at the ready!

 

I know of one at the coast that was broken down by a heavy wet ice snow and it was propped back up and one would not know today what it endured.