It also requires a lime-free soil in which to thrive and is then capable of reaching 8ft(2.5m). The smoke trees or sumachs, Cotinus spp., are superb shrubs or small trees for autumn effect. Cotinus coggygria, the Venetian sumach, will form a large mound up to ioft(3m) tall, and whether grown on a single or on several stems will create a brilliant splash of colour in which orange, crimson and purple predominate. The purple-leaved cultivars, including 'Royal Purple' and 'Notcutt's Variety', are just as satisfactory and have the additional attraction of summer foliage colour. Rich autumn leaf colours are found in several of the spindles, Euonymus spp., the most famous perhaps being £. alatus, a slow-growing, dense bush up to 6ft(2m) tall with curiously winged stems and leaves that turn a rich crimson before falling. Other Euonymus spp. are dual-purpose and add ornamental fruits to their autumn leaf display. Among these are £. oxyphyllus, a large spreading shrub up to ioft(3m) tall whose leaves in autumn turn to shades of red and purple when, at the same time, the branches are strung with carmine-red capsules which split to reveal orange-coated seeds. Similar in effect are the various forms of E. hamilton-ianus, whose lemon and pink or darker autumn tints complement the coral-pink capsules which are borne in profusion. These forms are still grown in nurseries under various names of which E. yedoensis, E. siebol-dianus and £. maackii are the most common. They develop into large shrubs up to 8 to ioft(2.5 to 3m) tall on average, their colours adding immeasurably to the autumn scene. Few shrubs can match the viburnums and cotoneasters for autumn effect. Our native Viburnum opulus may be equalled but is certainly unexcelled by its Asian or American counterparts. The white lacecap flowerheads in summer are followed in autumn by large, drooping bunches of glistening red, translucent berries when, at the same time, the handsome maple-like leaves turn red and purple shades. 'Notcutt's Variety' is a selected form with larger flowers and fruits while 'Xanthocarpum' has fruits of a golden-yellow colour. For small gardens there are few rivals to V. wrightii 'Hessei', which rarely rises above 3ft(im) and develops a dense, compact habit with broad, attractively veined leaves which are ideal backing for the sealing-wax-red fruits. This is one of the most reliable fruiting shrubs. Cotoneasters have already been lauded for their fruiting qualities and such is their variety of size and habit that there cannot be a garden anywhere that will not accommodate at least one of their number. For large gardens the red-fruited C. frigidus and its yellow-fruited form 'Fructu-luteo' are virtually unbeatable. Both are large deciduous shrubs up to 15(4.5m) or more eventually, with bold foliage and an ability to grow in almost any situation, a character shared by many other members of the genus. Equally large, but developing a more wide-spreading habit with arching branches in more or less horizontal sprays, are the hybrids between C.