ande wrote:

Cotinus Cog. Atropurpurea is the most common species I have seen. Although
I have not purchased a tree or made a decision yet so I can't say what
species I may end up with at that time. I was just wondering if anyone had
experience with them (one growing in their yard).

They are pretty easy to grow and require minimal care. They are native to
Southern Europe into China, so I would assume they will tolerate a reasonable
amount of heat and humidity without problems. Dirr makes no special note of
problems with southern climates. They are drought tolerant once established. I
am unfamiliar with a cultivar by the name of 'Atropurpurea', but 'Purpureus'
has only green foliage with pink/purple blushed inflorescense. There are
superior purple-leafed forms readily available, like 'Royal Purple' or 'Velvet
Cloak'

BTW, they are generally considered to be more of a shrub than a tree as ultimate
height is only in the 10-15' range and they typically are multistemmed or very
low branching.

pam - gardengal