Purple-leaf plum trees, also flowering plum trees or cherry plum trees, can add interest to your yard or garden with their dark red to purple foliage and abundance of white to light pink spring blossoms. The birds love to feast on these tiny cherries. Sand Cherry. They grow similarly though if that is your only option. There are dozens of Cherry plum cultivars chosen for their fruit whereas many Cherry plum trees are often grown for ornamental purposes. The name of the dwarf purple-leaf sand cherry is due to its leaves which are dark red and have a metallic shine. Attract a Wide Range of Birds. Produces fragrant light pink to white flowers from late April to early May; Features an attractive reddish-purple leaf coloring that lasts through the summer The sand cherry bush (Prunus besseyi) is a deciduous shrub desirable for its small but fragrant white flowers, deep green leaves and purple or blue, edible fruit. Sand cherry fruit is usually dark purple to black in color, indicating high anthocyanin levels, which suggest high antioxidant levels. Because Sand Cherry grows up into Canada, this will work for any landscape over a wide range of states. This cool climate shrub is often found growing in high altitudes and can survive temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero, according to information published by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery. This dwarf purple-leaf sand cherry is a slow-growing, upright ornamental shrub. The fruits are showy deep purple drupes with black overtones, which are displayed in mid summer. [13] [14] [15] These purple-foliage forms (often called 'purple-leaf plum'), also have dark purple fruit, which make an attractive, intensely coloured jam. Not suitable for a privacy hedge on its own but is often alternated with lilacs. Leaf Type and Shape - Simple, oval-lanceolate. Edible parts of Western Sand Cherry: Fruit … The fruit of the ornamental purple leaf plum isn't very tasty but it is edible. [11] They grow to be about 7 feet tall and can live for up to 20 years. Although most Sand Cherry shrubs live 10-15 years, this is often because growers miss the appearance of pests. Tip Even with yearly pruning and careful cultivation, purple-leaf sand cherries become more susceptible to pests and diseases after they reach the age of 10 years and and begin to decline in health and vigor. Leaf Length - 1 to 2 inches. Purple-leaf sand cherry (Prunus x cistena) and purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera) have a similar appearance because they belong to the same family. You must be signed in before you can post questions or answers. This shrub needs well-drained soil and prefers moist rich loams in full sun. Thae fruits that appear in autumn are also red; they are very tasty and are good for snacking, but also for preserving. Purple Leaf Sand Cherry is a deciduous shrub in the rose family that matures at around 8 feet tall and wide. You're lucky if the fruits taste sweet! Cherry plums, botanical name Prunus cerasifera, are a stone fruit and member of the Rosaceae family. The plump, roundish cherries, which are substantially larger than those produced by black cherry, choke cherry or pin cherry, are mature when they turn a deep blackish purple. It also may be trained as a small tree. It can be planted close to paved surfaces and near utility lines and can also be used as a deciduous hedge. Click here to join! rock back of corner hill garden. The fruits are usually about the size of a cherry and ripen in August. We have a plant guide and evrything appears to match the description and pictures. On plant Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'? Leaf Margins - Appressed-serrate. Is the fruit edible and why does it not fruit every year or have we just not noticed as the fruit is purple the same as the leaves? The fruit of this Western Sand Cherry is a sour cherry that is purple to black in color. a flower cherry, or something more exotic). Also considering the number of fruits (and the size), I don't think your builder has planted a special cherry (e.g. Learn how to grow and care for them and discover 6 common varieties. Read More How to Grow Purple Leaf Sand Cherry You may have to do a little searching to find one that is bred for fruit production. While chiefly ornamental, these trees also produce fruit resembling those on fruit trees. Edible Uses: Fruit - raw or cooked [2, 159, 161]. This is definitely a fast growing, medium-sized shrub, excellent for your landscape! Sometimes called Purple leaf Plum although the actual purple leaf plum is a tree. Even homeowners in Zone 3 can enjoy this pretty tree with its knockout reddish purple coloring in their gardens year after year. The fruits are edible and a favorite wildlife food, sweet but somewhat astringent tasting, and usually much more suitable for making jellies and jams than eating directly from the bush." They are edible, and can be eaten raw or used to make jam, depending on whether they are sweet or sour. Not many accent trees can say that! It was developed by Niels Ebbesen Hansen of South Dakota State University in 1910. Ornamental trees, such as crabapples and purple-leaved plums, are planted in the home landscape for their flowers or colorful foliage. They won't hurt you so go ahead and eat them. Other Names: Cistena Cherry Description: A popular color accent shrub, upright-branched and wide spreading; small pink flowers in spring are elegant, but the reddish-purple foliage is a standout all season long; needs full sun and well-drained soil, excellent for adding lasting color to a garden While there will never be a large cherry crop, the fruit is commonly used for making jams, jellies, and pie. Prunus × cistena (purple leaf sand cherry), a hybrid of Prunus cerasifera and Prunus pumila, the sand cherry, also won the Award of Garden Merit. Purpleleaf Sandcherry, a hybrid, is a popular landscape shrub. I would anyway try to contact him, and ask. Bud Size - 1/8 inch. However, this can also be trained as a small tree if desired. Leaf Surface - Smooth, glabrous. Often used as an accent plant that attracts birds and bees. This thick-growing, long-lived shrub is called the Purple Leaf Sand Cherry. Purple leaf cherry plum Standard Trees . The tough and beautiful Prunus cerasifera Nigra, also known as the purple or black cherry plum, is a famous inner city choice, with its reliability in poor soils, spectacular spring blossom and great foliage colour.It's one of the first cherries to flower, sometimes coming into bud in late February. The Purple Leaf Sand Cherry is a mainstay of gardens in cold areas, and with its rich foliage color it should be grown in warmer areas too. This shrub-like, small tree is distinguished by its red or purple leaves in spring, summer, and fall and its fragrant white and pink flowers in spring. It is most noted for its reddish purple foliage that retains good color throughout the summer. Life is said to be like a bowl of cherries, but having a cherry tree that fails to fruit is the pits. It has a good purplish leaf color throughout summer. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark Details P. × cistena is an upright, bushy, medium-sized deciduous shrub with small, pinkish-white flowers. 26 Jul, 2009; Featured on: fruit trees plums Description. With good care, expect the plant to live even longer. Produces bright red 3 inch leaves in spring and blushing, white flowers in May. Leaves and Buds Bud Arrangement - Alternate. You probably won't notice the small, dark purple cherries forming in early fall, but the birds certainly will. Jun 9, 2014 - Purple leaf sand cherry shrub, low, grow behind (around?) It can be planted close to paved surfaces and near utility lines and can also be used as a deciduous hedge. Purpleleaf Sand Cherry it a wonderful plant for birds. All of our plants have been carefully preserved by taking cuttings from accurately identified plants. Cherries are edible, just the taste could not be so nice, in that case, sugar will help them to be transformed in a good jam. Ripe sand cherries are also consumed by many wildlife species, so please don’t take more than you can use. Best offers for your Garden - https://amzn.to/2InnD0w ----- How to Grow Purple-Leaf Sand Cherry. Such varieties are selected for their bold purple foliage and fragrant and attractive spring blossoms. The Purple leaf sand cherry can be susceptible to pests and diseases in more humid areas; a typical life span is approximately 15 years. Plant database entry for Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (Prunus x cistena) with 25 images, one comment, and 31 data details. Edible fruits which are dark purple to black. Squirrels and birds are frequent visitors to the tree to feast on these fruits. The Purpleleaf Sand Cherry belongs to the Rose Family (1).Its identifying characteristics include: simple, alternate leaves with thin grayish stems, reddish-purple leaves, and small, sour black fruit (1).The leaves are about 2 inches long, serrated, and elliptical ().These plants are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged (3). Because of this, the purpleleaf sand cherry makes an excellent contrast tree. « Return to the Garden Knowledgebase Homepage. Rejuvenate a neglected or overgrown purple-leaf sand cherry by hard pruning all of its branches down to within 6 inches of the ground in late winter, before its initial spring growth spurt. The resulting purple leaf shrub was introduced in 1910. Purple leaf plum trees bear small, deep red or purple colored fruits in July. Edible fruit. Prunus × cistena, commonly called purple-leaf sand cherry, is an upright deciduous shrub that typically grows 6-10’ tall and 5-8’ wide. Plum Vs. The most commonly found one is the Purple-Leaved sand cherry and it is strictly an ornamental. Leaf curl, fire blight, dieback, leaf spot, cankers, powdery mildew, and root rot are all diseases that may show up in the paperbark cherry. As the fruits mature, questions concerning their edibility often arise.Fruit from ornamentals, such as crabapples and purple-leaved plums, are edible. Bud Color - Brown. The purple leaf plum hedge is a small member of the plum family sometimes called the purple leaf sand cherry. Adding Purple Leaf Sandcherries to Your Property. The Nanking cherry is very popular as an edible bush cherry but its actually a different species than sand cherry. © 2017 Millcreek Nursery Ltd. 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