August 1996
Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 7 to 10 feet
Spread: 5 to 8 feet
Shape: Spreading
Foliage remains a reddish-purple all summer. Fragrant pinkish flowers bloom in spring after leaves appear. Colorful cherries appear in fall.
Zone: 2 to 7
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Moist
Soil Type: Sandy or loam
pH Range: 3.7 to 7.3
Suggested uses for this plant include specimen plant.
Plant in spring using shrubs with balled and burlapped roots.
Requires regular maintenance (pruning,
fertilizing, and occasional spraying) to
maintain vigor.
If needed, prune after flowering in spring.
Dead wood can be removed anytime of year.
No serious pests.
Considered a short-lived plant. Its wood is
subject to ice damage.
Consult local sources, including historic or public gardens and arboreta, regarding cultivars and related species that grow well in your area.
Related species:
PRUNUS CERASIFERA `Atropurpurea' (Purpleleaf
Plum) is upright and dense and has reddish
purple foliage.
PRUNUS CERASIFERA `Thundercloud' (Purpleleaf
Plum) has deep purple foliage color throughout
the growing season.
PRUNUS CERASIFERA `Nigra' (Black Myrobalan Plum)
has very dark purple foliage.
This plant is valued for its purple foliage
which persists throughout the growing
season.
It is one of the hardiest of the purple leaved
plants.
The PRUNING SERIES videotape may be ordered
through your local Extension office.
The following Extension publications are
available through your local Extension office or
directly from:
Virginia Tech
Extension Distribution Center
112 Landsdowne St.
Blacksburg, VA 24061
#426-500 "Winter Injury to Trees and Shrubs"
#426-611 "Selecting Landscape Plants - Flowering
Trees
#426-606 "Selecting Landscape Plants - Deciduous
Shrubs"
This material was developed by Carol Ness as part of the
Interactive Design and Development Project funded by the Kellogg
Foundation. Mary Miller, Project Director. Diane Relf, Content
Specialist, Horticulture. Copyright 1989 by VCE.