The smoke bush is a large shrub or small tree, growing to 10 to 15 feet tall with multiple trunks with a  diameter of 8 to 15 inches. It has deep pink flowers in the summer.  The leaves are a dusky, deep red giving the tree a dramatic presence.  The wood displays striking variegation, with bold stripes of mustard yellow and khaki running side by side—evoking the warm, undulating patterns of olivewood