The effects of the new cytokinin, meta-methoxytopolin (MemT), and its riboside (MemTR), on the micropropagation efficiency and shoot quality of smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) ‘Royal Purple’ were studied. This plant species is recalcitrant both in conventional and in vitro propagation. In this study, in vitro cultures of the axillary shoots of smoke bush ‘Royal Purple’ were used. In the experiment concerning the multiplication stage, new cytokinins were applied at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg l^-1. In the control, N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) at a concentration of 0.5 mg l^-1 was selected based on the earlier studies. The Cotinus shoot cultures treated with MemT at 1 mg l^-1 or MemTR at 1 and 2 mg l^-1 demonstrated multiplication rates that were higher by 30-40%. The shoots were longer by 40-50% and contained 60% more chlorophyll as compared to the control. The shoots derived from variants of the medium containing meta-methoxytopolins, produced ethylene at the same level as those from the control medium. In order to evaluate the carry over cytokinin effects on rooting capacity, the shoots were preliminary cultured on variants of the medium containing all the cytokinins, including BA, at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg l^-1. After the second subculture, shoots were rooted on a medium containing 3 mg l^-1 IBA. The cytokinins applied during the multiplication stage had a carry over effect on shoot capacity for rooting. Thus, meta-methoxytopolins at the concentration of 0.5 mg l^-1, created carry over effect decreasing rooting percentage from 80% obtained for BA (0.5 mg l^-1) to 51.9% and 65.2% for MemT and MemTR, respectively. If cytokinins were used at 2 mg l^-1, the strongest carry over effect, inhibitory-to-rooting was observed for BA. Our results imply that meta-methoxytopolins can be considered an alternative to other commonly used cytokinins in micropropagation of recalcitrant species.