There are only three species of this genus. The most common is the Common Smoketree (C. coggygria, of Eurasia, the American Smoketree (C. obovatus) of the southeastern USA, and one specis in southwest China. The generic name of Cotinus comes from the Greek word of "Kotinus" that means olive. It is a member of the Cashew or Sumac Family (Anacardiaceae). These deciduous large shrubs or small trees are called "Smoketree" or 'Smokebush" because of a lot of fine plant hairs borne around the tiny flowers & fruits that give the appearance of smoke. They are dioecious, having separate male (staminate) and female (pistillate) plants, and the male plants are slightly more showy in their smoke display. They have a yellow or orange sap that has been used for dye.

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