Coccum ‘scarlet dye’ is probably behind the name of a most interesting plant #InMyGarden. On bright days the sun shines thru its purple leaves & they appear scarlet. It’s the ‘cotinus coggygria’, a variety of Smoke Bush. Earlier in the summer it was in flower, like smokey puffs rising in the hot air. I love its dark charcoal leaves edged with red.
The name ‘Cotinus’ goes back to proto-Greek days, maybe a wild olive tree in Iron Age S. Europe.

#Cotinus #SmokeBush #GayGarden #Gardener #coccum

Roxburgh in Central Otago, New Zealand. The purple Cotinus (smoke bush) looked superb. Taken 04 Dec 2022 by me, afternoon.

#purple #SmokeBush #Cotinus #tree #Roxburgh #CentralOtago #NewZealand #smoke #landscape #foliage #travel