Pruning help with Cotinus ‘Grace’

I have a tree form of Cotinus ‘Grace.’ I’ve had it two years. It grows insanely each season. I find that then the next season the really long branches will leaf out only at the tips, making for lots awkwardness (see the photo with the leaves). Last spring I pruned the longest branches by one-third to one-half, which seemed to eliminate the problem of bare branches, at least until late summer when some branches had grown so long, up to 6 feet, that they dropped their lower leaves.

In hindsight I probably shouldn't have bought it, but the money is now spent. I have a small space, 24' by 36', so it is a focal point.

Should I do this same pruning this year, and all subsequent years? But then will I create more of a problem? What about shaping? Is there any logic to which branches I should and should not prune and how much so I don't create an awkwardness of a different sort? The branches I pruned last year sprouted 2-3 new branches each. Over time I fear this will lead to the crape murder effect.

The two images with no leaves are how the tree looks currently.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jennifer

Hello there Cotinus is such a pain to prune because of its growth habit. I prune Cotinus( multiple varieties) almost all year and they are a challenge to keep contained and subsequently of a form that is suitable for a small garden. If you pruned now, you will likely see a great deal of water sprouts result from the cuts. Generally, if it is intended to be a foliage plant( typical use of shrub type), we cut the hell out of it! Yours is a standard so I would suggest minimal pruning to reduce some of the length and weight on the branches and thinning as needed. Once it has bloomed do some additional pruning, this will help the branches strength and you will be far less likely to have the erratic growth response that rigorous winter pruning invites.

That's not the worst-looking Smoketree I've ever seen.

I'm having difficulty finding an objective authoritative reference that adequately describes "...cut the hell out of it..."

I will add to Handroanthus' experiences, and state that to create a relatively attractive and "normal" looking small tree from a Cotinus coggygria selection, you should plan to pay attention to it at least weekly, especially during periods of new stem growth extensions. That is when pruning will provide some quite valuable results - not only pruning over the winter, or waiting until new growth stops to make a head cut.

Also, when pruning back a long shoot - or curtailing the active growth of a vigorous new shoot - observe where you are making the cut. Most people don't do this. Look at the stem on a woody plant, and see where the buds are. Their positions point in different directions. Some point upward; some point downward; some point toward the left; some point right. You can observe alternate buds on Cotinus, while you will observe opposite buds on genera like Viburnum or Acer.

When you prune off a piece of a stem or branch, the remaining bud/buds will be triggered to grow next - as well as other remaining branches. If you have pruned back to a bud that points inward respective to the plant's canopy, the ensuing inward growth isn't going to be very helpful. If you recognize where you want growth extensions to head - such as a gap in the canopy shape - then prune back to buds that will, when they start growing, grow into those gaps. Giving this level of thought to making pruning cuts will result in far more satisfaction than simply lopping off plant parts indiscriminately.

You already know how rampantly this species can grow, so don't be fainthearted in working with this plant. It will continue to grow. You may have more interest in considering how you will continue to manage the plant as it heads toward its desired dimensions of 20' x 20'. A good polesaw will be a worthwhile investment.

If you decide you can't successfully do battle with 'Grace', but still like Smoketree's values, consider 'Daydream'. This selection grows far more compactly without extraneous help, and will take far longer to fill up your entire space.

Agreed those 'cut the hell out it' are for situations where spatial denial and an unwillingness to remove a poorly pruned shrub is at play, but could be used in a restoration to encourage new growth. Thankfully Jennifer's tree does not fall in to that category.

Thanks, Handroanthus and ViburnumValley. I appreciate the detailed advice and encouragement. Very helpful!!