Smoke Tree is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its spring flowers are a modest draw for honeybees.
Smoke Tree — the short answer
Smoke Tree: grown in zones 4–8, full sun, pH 5–8.
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Hardy to zone 4a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5–8
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Smoke Tree on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether smoke tree actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score smoke tree against your land's real conditions.
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What Smoke Tree is
Smoke Tree grows as a perennial and reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Smoke Tree
Smoke Tree grows in USDA zones 4 through 8. Smoke Tree does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
4-8
Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
Soil pH
5 - 8
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
15 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set smoke tree in full sun with well-drained soil.
Match the soil
Smoke Tree prefers pH 5 to 8 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water while it roots in
Water deeply while smoke tree establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own.
Shape it while it is young
Prune smoke tree only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Smoke Tree thrives
Smoke Tree is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–8 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 26 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–8·Where Smoke Tree growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Smoke Tree stands, state by state
Smoke Tree is rated for zones 4–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 26 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–8
25 states
3 of 25 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Smoke Tree
Growing guides for smoke tree
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — smoke tree is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Smoke Tree offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Smoke Tree's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Smoke Tree will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether smoke tree actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Smoke Tree
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Smoke Tree in my zone?
Smoke Tree grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 (Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Smoke Tree?
Set smoke tree out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Smoke Tree need?
Smoke Tree needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Smoke Tree need?
Smoke Tree prefers soil pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Smoke Tree attract pollinators?
Yes — smoke tree's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees.
Is Smoke Tree safe for pets?
Smoke Tree is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Keep exploring Smoke Tree
Smoke Tree state by state
Every state smoke tree's zone reaches — 3 link straight to that state's smoke tree growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.