
If planted in an area where the exposure to sunlight is not above 6 hours, the leaves will turn a shade of green instead of the purple foliage they normally sport, so location is an important factor.

Purple Leaf Plum Tree Growth Rate (Where To Plant Purple Plum Tree)Įvery year the Purple Leaf Plum tree grows another 33 to 60 cm depending on the sun and if the soil has good drainage with a slightly acidic content. Hardiness zones 5-8 have proven to be ideal growing environments for this ornamental tree, and states such as Idaho, Washington, California, Oregon, and Tennessee have taken advantage of their climates to plant this colorful tree strategically around their cities for maximum impact.Īs a landscaping addition, it looks lovely. Here are a few more basic facts to know before you grow (Image: Javier Martin 32):
#Purple leaf plum full
The leaves are a distinctive teardrop shape with serrated edges while the flowers are arranged in tiny clusters of 2 or 3, either in elegant white, tinged with a hint of red, or fully pink in color in full bloom, these trees are a sight to behold. Without a doubt, this impressive plum tree is coveted for its lovely look, with its spring explosion of flowers that blossom from April to October, and some avid gardeners have elevated Purple Leaf Plum tree to the prime position in their gardens. These fruits, small and dark purple, can be sweet on the outer flesh and then slightly sour towards the center, so is not to everyone’s taste.įoraging animals are not so particular but humans prefer to mask the sourness with sugar or within pastries or to make delicious jams (Images: KENPEI 33) The Purple Leaf Plum tree is deciduous and is not particularly tall or long-lived, but in its 20-year lifespan, 5 it bursts into life every spring with bright pink or white flowers intermingled among its dark purple leaves.Īs spring merges into summer, Cherry plums emerge that usually become food for birds and other wildlife. Ornamental Plum Tree: What Does a Plum Tree Look Like? This complete guide provides all the information you need to know about the Purple Leaf Plum tree, and includes growing tips, companion plants, and other cool facts about this landscaping favorite. However, there are a few care tips to use for flowering plum trees to ensure that they thrive. The fruits a Purple Leaf Plum tree produces are less than delicious (more along the lines of crab-apples).īut, if you’re considering this fruit tree for your property, you’ll never be disappointed with the gorgeous spring blooms or the lovely purple leaves, and many birds and other wildlife will be attracted to the fruits. Flowers are followed by small edible fruits (purple plums to 1” diameter).Will a Purple Leaf Plum tree produce fruits, or is it cultivated as an ornamental landscaping tree?īut, don’t let the name deceive you, most people plant these Plum trees notfor the sweet plums they can get, but more for having a splash of outstanding color during the spring, summer and autumn months. Leaves (to 2.5” long) emerge ruby red in spring, but mature to dark reddish-purple. It has become a very popular ornamental landscape tree in large part because its showy purple foliage retains excellent color throughout the growing season. 'Thundercloud' is purple-leaved cultivar that typically grows as a dense, upright-spreading tree to 15-25' tall.

Specific epithet is derived from the Latin words cerasus meaning cherry tree and ferre meaning to bear. Genus name from Latin means plum or cherry tree. Myrobalan is derived from the Greek words myron (plant juice) and balanos (nut). Species is sometimes used as a rootstock for other stone fruits.

Species plants are uncommonly sold in commerce, but a number of purple-leaved cultivars have become quite popular. Ovate, elliptic or obovate, thin, serrate leaves (to 2.5” long). Flowers are followed by small edible fruits (to 1” diameter) that are sweet but somewhat tasteless. Very fragrant, mostly solitary, 5-petaled, white flowers (to 1” across) bloom in early spring.

This is a small, sometimes spiny, deciduous tree typically growing to 15-30’ tall with a shrubby, spreading, rounded habit. Naturalization has occurred in the U.S., primarily in the northeast and far west. Today, it only exists in cultivation except for the many situations where it has escaped gardens and naturalized. Prunus cerasifera, commonly called cherry plum or Myrobalan plum, is native to western Asia and the Caucasus.
