Is This Oneonta’s Most Beautiful Tree? (PHOTO)

OK, OK...so it's not really a tree.

But it is almost 15 feet high in the center and it has been growing right there in front of the Huntington Library for more than 100 years.

The "smoke bush" (cotinus) was planted by Henry Huntington himself over a century ago. Henry, one of the great industrial titans of his era, collected plants from all over the world and brought them back to his home town of Oneonta.  This bush, started as a seedling, came from Asia.  In full bloom the flowering buds burst into a pageant of powder puffs unlike anything else in Oneonta.  The display doesn't last that long but while it does it is spectacular.

The staff at the Huntington Library gets so many inquiries about the "smoke bush" that they have printed up an information brochure about it with several beautiful photographs in it.

I took th eabove photograph on Tuesday, July 15.

Thanks for the beyoootiful posey, Henry Huntington!