Cotinus obovatus

American smoketree is in the cashew or Anacardiaceae family and is native to the southeastern United States.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, broadly oval in shape (the Latin 'obovatus' meaning "in the shape of an inverted egg"). Foliage turns a brilliant orange-yellow in the fall.
• Flowers are small, yellowish in clusters on ends of twigs, develop in plume-like filaments in the spring, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze appearance to branch tips.
• Fruit is a small, kidney bean-shaped 2 mm long, among the filaments, which dry out over winter, break up and are carried away by wind, along with the seeds.