Golden Spirit smokebush arrived in gardens already trailing an unusual backstory: patented in 2002, its breeder noted that no flowers had ever been observed. In practice, nurseries report that smoky panicles do sometimes appear on mature specimens grown in ideal conditions, drifting above the golden canopy like a haze of pollen. Whether it flowers or not, the foliage is the point — chartreuse-orange in spring, ripening to a luminous gold by midsummer, then flushing with warm autumn tones before the leaves drop.

At 8 to 15 feet tall, Golden Spirit works well as a specimen or massed in a shrub border, and it responds well to hard pruning, which rewards the grower with bold new stems and larger, brighter leaves the following season. Full sun brings out the richest color; shade pushes it toward a murkier lime. One caution worth noting: it belongs to the Anacardiaceae family alongside poison ivy, and the resinous sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Verticillium wilt and rust are occasional concerns, but on well-drained soil in zones 5 through 8, it is largely trouble-free.