Cotinus (10 plants)
$7 plant + $1.50 royalty + $8.50 total per plant
Cotinus is is a true dual purpose shrub. The foliage can be harvested in the first season of growth, or if left on the plant it will flower the next year with lacy flowers that give Cotinus its common name of Smoke Bush (or "Wig Tree" in the Netherlands!)
Traditionally you have to wait until the second year to harvest flowers since most Cotinus require a winter chill to produce flowering buds. Most but not all!
Magical Red Torch is a breeding breakthrough from Kolster. It will flower on new growth! This is a big deal if you live in a very cold winter climate where Cotinus gets frozen back to the ground each year. Even if you cut it to the ground, the new growth will emerge in the spring and in late summer you will be able to harvest bouquet sized plumes in the very same year. These flowers will bloom later than those produced on 2 year old wood, staggering the season.
Magical Red Fountain is the perfect compliment to Red Torch. Red Fountain needs a winter chill to bloom meaning it will give you loads of deep burgundy foliage in year 1, followed by blooms in year 2. The flowering stems in year two are quite tall, making them perfect for large lobby arrangements or event installation. If you prefer Cotinus for foliage, simply cut Red Fountain back to ground each year and let the new growth regrow for harvest. You can do this for many years in a row.
Test both foliage and flowers for wilting before you harvest too many. There is a point in the season when the new growth has matured enough to last after which time you can harvest for the rest of the season without worry.
Magical Purple is a great choice for foliage production. Once established it can be harvested every fall for abundant straight stems bearing burgundy/purple foliage. It will also flower on old wood if you don't harvest all of the stem.
Space 3-4' apart (further if being grown for large flowering stems)
Hardiness Zones 3-8 (It may not flower well in coldest zones but will survive)
What You'll Receive
Bare root woody plants are just that! Plants with bare roots. They are dug from the field where they were grown, are washed and then stored in the perfect climate over the winter months. This process has many benefits.
Soil is heavy and messy to ship. Removing the soil makes it possible to bring in these hard to find plants from Holland where they are grown by the very folks that breed them.
Soil also can harbor insects and pathogens, so removing plants from soil helps satisfy import requirements of the USDA and ensures you are receiving healthy disease free plant material. The plants are harvested in a dormant state and held that way until they are shipped. They won't even know they have changed countries when they wake up in your garden or field in the springtime.
Our woody plants are grown in the field in Holland for 1 year before shipping to you. They are pinched a couple of times during the growing season resulting in a stocky well branched plant that will have a good structure on arrival.
These plants will establish quickly in 2025 and you may be able to start harvesting as soon as 2026 on the faster maturing crops. Height will vary, but in general they will be around 12-16" in height.
What To Do With It
All of these plants will ship to you in March at a time approprate for planting. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up.
You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game.
If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler. Keep them damp and wrapped in plastic as dry roots are the kiss of death for this type of product. The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine.
If they arrive before you can plant outside or before it is reliably above freezing outdoors, pot them, and put them back into your cooler until spring advances. They will start to grow new roots immediately. When you see new buds on the trees and shrubs outdoors it is time to bring them out.
To be honest I am being overly cautious in my recommendations, but these these plants aren't cheap. They are a long term investment that will pay for themselves many times over if you get them through this brief period of transition. Read the directions and success sure to follow.
It is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival.