Smoke Tree
The
Smoketree, also known as the Cotinus coggygria is a small tree that grows
between 10 and 20 feet. Cotinus
coggygria, is
a flowering plant from the Anacardiaceae family and originates from southern Europe
and parts of central and northern Asia. Large panicles of wispy cream-colored
flowers produced in spring and early summer that give the effect of a cloud of
smoke. The Smoketree grows well in dry, rocky soil where there is no
irrigation. Although the smoke tree is short lived with a lifespan of about 20
years, it requires little maintenance. The Fall color
is highly variable, but at its best produces very attractive shades of yellow,
orange, red and purplish-red.
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Quick Facts About the Tree
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Community Surrounding the Tree
The Smoketree is susceptible to diseases such as leaf spots and Scab. The most serious disease is Verticillium and the infected branches must be cut. There is not a big pest problem and because this species can be found as a shrub or tree it is home to ground critters and birds alike.
Ethnobotany
The Ethnobotany of the spices is mainly used for two things. The wood it produces for fire and the pigment from the stems and trunks to dye textiles.
In the Lesser Himalayas, Cotinus coggyria is used as fuelwood. Fuelwood is collected by men, children, and, very rarely, women. About 90% of the people depend on plant species for fuelwood and 5% of residents use kerosene oil and gas cylinders. Residents depend on forest as well as cultivated trees for their fuelwood supply. Today people from the plain areas move to the upper mountains to collect wood, whereas 25–30 years ago, fuelwood was available at their doorstep. This shows the increased deforestation that has occurred in the area during the last 30 years. The wood from the Smoketree has also been used as dye in some cultures. It dyes yellow-orange colors to textiles, The stems and trunk of the tree Cotinus coggygria, native to southern Europe, were cut and gathered into small bundles for export. Dryers rasped or cut and boiled young fustic to extract its dye. Usually it was combined with other more permanent dyes to heighten their hues, leaving behind a fast color when its temporary hue had vanished. Today the plant is used mostly are easy maintenance decor throughout any landscape. |
Current Research
There was many different articles on current research about the Smoketree. Two of the most important articles were about the investigation of antibacterial properties of Cotinus coggygria and the use of a compound found in the shrub that produces stronger dyes.
The Polish Journal of Environmental Studies published an article on the “Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Cotinus coggygria from Turkey.” There was a study done to develop new, reliable, cost-efficient, and non-toxic herbal anti-microbial agents in order to minimize environmental and health problems. The disc diffusion method was used to examine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of Cotinus coggygia prepared with a series of other chemicals. . The plant extracts in distilled water and methanol were found to be the most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecalis.
Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry recently published “Young fustic ( Cotinus coggygria Scop.; Anacardiaceae) has been used as a dyestuff since antiquity." The article was about a study on an isolated compound found the species that has lead to developments in artificial light.The isolated compounds were used as reference materials for the development of new type of artificial light. Three samples were used in the study. These included fresh silk dyed with young fustic, dyed silk that was subject to artificial light and historical silk from the 15th-18th century. The preliminary experiments suggested that although the amounts of the dye components decrease with light aging, the relative ratio of fisetin and sulfuretin, after a first step of aging, is very small.
The Polish Journal of Environmental Studies published an article on the “Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Cotinus coggygria from Turkey.” There was a study done to develop new, reliable, cost-efficient, and non-toxic herbal anti-microbial agents in order to minimize environmental and health problems. The disc diffusion method was used to examine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of Cotinus coggygia prepared with a series of other chemicals. . The plant extracts in distilled water and methanol were found to be the most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecalis.
Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry recently published “Young fustic ( Cotinus coggygria Scop.; Anacardiaceae) has been used as a dyestuff since antiquity." The article was about a study on an isolated compound found the species that has lead to developments in artificial light.The isolated compounds were used as reference materials for the development of new type of artificial light. Three samples were used in the study. These included fresh silk dyed with young fustic, dyed silk that was subject to artificial light and historical silk from the 15th-18th century. The preliminary experiments suggested that although the amounts of the dye components decrease with light aging, the relative ratio of fisetin and sulfuretin, after a first step of aging, is very small.
Creative Writing
The Immortal Smoketree
The leaves are what give the tree its name. Not the trunk not the branches but the leaves. They are showy. They are a wonder. Its name, the Smoketree, fits its personality. Smoke is dangerous but also dreamlike, thick and invasive. The leaves look soft to the touch, like cotton candy. The leaves are flashy and youthful, even exotic. But the tree has a flaw. Its life is short and simple. Twenty years is the average lifespan and that isn’t very long at all compared to the typical lifetime of a tree or even a human. I am almost twenty. I can not comprehend fitting my whole life into twenty years. I wonder if that’s why the Smoketree is so beautiful. I wonder if it lives fast because it dies young. Maybe it was blessed with exotic qualities as a way to make it up for its short life span. If I had only twenty years on this planet I would be doing things differently. I would travel and live each day to the maximum potential. I would travel everywhere and not care that I didn’t have a dollar to my name. I would never know what it means to be responsible for another human being so I would go wherever the wind blows. If I knew I would die at twenty I would never worry about wrinkles, cellulite or gray hairs. I would never have to worry about finding a partner, getting a stable job or having kids. If I only lived for twenty years, I would my life just like that of the Smoketree, live fast, die young. Here’s the tradeoff that time brings. The longer one lives the more worries they have because they have more time to worry. Time is exchanged for freedom. The Smoketree is free and those who succeed in life, those who live each day and are free but also have a life of longevity are like an immortal Smoketree.
References
Abbasi, A. M. (2012). Medicinal plant biodiversity of lesser Himalayas-Pakistan (pp. 23-24). New York, NY: Springer.
Adrosko, R. J., & Furry, M. S. (1971). Natural dyes and home dyeing (p. 39). New York: Dover Publications.
Cotinus coggygria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, February 23). Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotinus_coggygria
Dirr, M. (2011). Dirr's encyclopedia of trees and shrubs (pp. 231-233). Portland, Or: Timber Press.
Gilman, E., & Watson, D. (1993, November). ENH360/ST201: Cotinus coggygria: Smoketree. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st201
Missouri Botanical Gardens (n.d.). Cotinus coggygria - Plant Finder. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c390
Tunc, K., & Hos, A. (2013). Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Cotinus coggygria from Turkey. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22(22), 1559-1561.
Vallanou, L., & Stathopoulou, K. (2009). Phytochemical analysis of young fustic ( Cotinus coggygria heartwood) and identification of isolated colourants in historical textiles.Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry, 394(3), 871-882.
Virginia Tech dept of Forest Recourses and Environmental Conservation (2012). Cotinus coggygria Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=832
Adrosko, R. J., & Furry, M. S. (1971). Natural dyes and home dyeing (p. 39). New York: Dover Publications.
Cotinus coggygria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2013, February 23). Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotinus_coggygria
Dirr, M. (2011). Dirr's encyclopedia of trees and shrubs (pp. 231-233). Portland, Or: Timber Press.
Gilman, E., & Watson, D. (1993, November). ENH360/ST201: Cotinus coggygria: Smoketree. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st201
Missouri Botanical Gardens (n.d.). Cotinus coggygria - Plant Finder. Retrieved October 25, 2013, from http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c390
Tunc, K., & Hos, A. (2013). Investigation of Antibacterial Properties of Cotinus coggygria from Turkey. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22(22), 1559-1561.
Vallanou, L., & Stathopoulou, K. (2009). Phytochemical analysis of young fustic ( Cotinus coggygria heartwood) and identification of isolated colourants in historical textiles.Analytical & Bioanalytical Chemistry, 394(3), 871-882.
Virginia Tech dept of Forest Recourses and Environmental Conservation (2012). Cotinus coggygria Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 24, 2013, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=832