The wonderful 'Smoke Tree' - Cotinus 'Royal Purple' - makes a great addition to the garden, with it's deep red/purple leaf, and subtle white flower which forms to give the impression of smoke floating through the plant.
Cotinus has no special requirements, and will grow well in most positions, but if unchecked can get quite large in time (12ft). However, it can be trimmed to keep a good shape and a restricted size.