Purple Leaf Plum Prunus cerasifera
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Prunus mirabilis
- Prunus orientalis
- Phonetic Spelling
- PROO-nus se-ra-SEE-fer-uh
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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The purple leaf plum or cherry plum is a medium-sized, ornamental, deciduous tree that is typically short-lived. The tree is upright and twiggy with a rounded to vase-shaped crown and brittle wood. Small, fragrant, pure white, 5-petaled flowers with numerous stamens bloom in the spring as the leaves emerge. The leaves are green, ovate, or elliptic with serrated margins. Fruits, if produced, are cherry-like yellow or red and very attractive to birds. Varieties or cultivars of this species have deep reddish purple foliage and flowers of pale pink or lavender. The unique feature of these cultivars is that the leaves retain the purple color until they drop in the fall.
The purple leaf plum is native to southeast Europe, Central Asia, and the Himalayas. It currently only exists in cultivation except where it has escaped gardens and naturalized. In the United States, this tree has naturalized in portions of the northeast and far west.
The genus name, Prunus, is Latin and means plum or cherry. The epithet, cerasifera, is derived from two Latin words, cerasus, meaning cherry tree, and ferre, which means to bear.
This tree flowers best in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. It requires moist, well-drained, loamy soils; however, it is adaptable to many soil conditions. Due to the structure of the tree and its brittle wood, it may be short-lived. When purchasing this tree, the specimen must have a good central leader. If the tree is pruned and well-cared for it may live 60 to 80 years.
The species is not usually found commercially and is not typically used as an ornamental; however, there are many varieties and cultivars available for purchase. The purple-leaved and pink-flowered cultivars are very popular with many gardeners because of their ornamental value. Most years, these ornamental trees produce little or no fruit.
The purple-leaved cultivars are best used as a specimen in the home landscape, and their foliage adds three-season interest. This spring small flowering tree is a great addition to a Japanese garden, butterfly garden, or cottage garden.
Seasons of Interest:
Bloom: Spring Foliage: Spring, Summer, and Fall Fruits: Summer
Quick ID Hints:
- medium-sized, upright, spreading, rounded to the vase-shaped crown, twiggy, ornamental deciduous tree
- thin reddish-brown to dark gray smooth bark with lenticels, when young
- as it matures, the bark splits and has furrows and ridges
- leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, serrated margins, dark green, shiny with paler undersides with hairs along the veins
- fragrant, white, 5-petaled, 1-inch in diameter flowers with numerous stamens
- round, 1.25 inch, reddish to yellow drupes
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The Purple leaf plum is susceptible to many insects and diseases. The potential insects include borers, aphids, scales, leafhoppers, caterpillars, tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles, and spider mites. They are susceptible to diseases such as black knots, leaf spots, dieback, leaf curls, powdery mildew, root rot, and fire blight. This tree is frequently damaged by deer.
VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'Atropurea'
- 'Crimson Pointe'
- 'Krauter's Vesuvius'
light pink flowers, dark purplish foliage - 'Newport'
pale bluish-pink flowers, dark purple to red or red purple foliage - 'Nigra'
bronze leaves in the spring, dark purple leaves summer, and orange-red leaves fall - 'Purple Pony'
dwarf variety, 10 to 12 feet in height and width - 'Purple Pony'
dwarf variety, 10 to 12 feet in height and width
'Thundercloud'
white to pinkish flowers, purplish foliage
pale pink to white flowers, coppery-purple foliage - 'Crimson Pointe'
- 'Atropurea', 'Crimson Pointe', 'Krauter's Vesuvius', 'Newport', 'Nigra', 'Purple Pony', 'Purple Pony', 'Thundercloud'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'Atropurea'
- 'Crimson Pointe'
- 'Krauter's Vesuvius'
light pink flowers, dark purplish foliage - 'Newport'
pale bluish-pink flowers, dark purple to red or red purple foliage - 'Nigra'
bronze leaves in the spring, dark purple leaves summer, and orange-red leaves fall - 'Purple Pony'
dwarf variety, 10 to 12 feet in height and width - 'Purple Pony'
dwarf variety, 10 to 12 feet in height and width
'Thundercloud'
white to pinkish flowers, purplish foliage
pale pink to white flowers, coppery-purple foliage - 'Crimson Pointe'
- 'Atropurea', 'Crimson Pointe', 'Krauter's Vesuvius', 'Newport', 'Nigra', 'Purple Pony', 'Purple Pony', 'Thundercloud'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- cerasifera
- Family:
- Roseaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Grafting
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeast Europe to Central Asia and the Himalayas
- Distribution:
- Native: Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, East Himalaya, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Lebanon-Syria, Nepal, North Caucasus, Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang, and Yugoslavia. Introduced: Argentina, Austria, Baltic States, Belgium, Canada--British Columbia and Ontario, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, New South Wales, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Australia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States--CA, CO, ID, MD, MA, NH, NY, OH, OR, PA, and WA.
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a larval host plant for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north. Fruits are eaten by songbirds. Insects pollinate the flowers.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Edible fruit
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Edibility:
- The fruits are edible and are used in tarts or jellies.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Vase
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a smooth, round, yellow, or red drupe that is up to 1.25-inches in diameter and ripens mid to late summer. Cultivars may be reddish-purple fruits. Fruits are not produced in great quantities.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Radial
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are fragrant, pure white, and 5-petaled with 20 to 30 stamens and 1 pistil. They are usually single but sometimes there may be two to three together. They are crowded on the twigs which makes them appear clustered. They measure 0.75 to 1-inch in diameter and bloom in April as the leaves emerge. The flowers of cultivars may be pink.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are alternate, simple, shiny, and green. The underside of the leaves is pale green. They measure 1.5 to 3 inches long and 1 to 1.25 inches wide. They are ovate, obovate, to elliptical with serrated margins, rounded base, and acute apex. They are downy along the midrib and veins on the undersides of the leaf. There are glands at the leaf base near the petiole. No significant fall color. Depending on the cultivar, the foliage may be purple, reddish-purple, red, or coppery-red, and they retain the color until the leaves drop in the fall.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Lenticels
- Ridges
- Smooth
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- The young bark is red-brown to dark gray and smooth with many horizontal lenticels. As the tree ages, the bark vertically splits and becomes irregularly ridged and furrowed.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are dark reddish-brown to gray and thin. Spur shoots are presents. The buds are small.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Small Space
- Landscape Theme:
- Asian Garden
- Butterfly Garden
- Cottage Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Small Tree
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Short-lived
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- The pits contain cyanide compounds, which are poisonous. If a couple of pits are accidentally swallowed, it will not cause poisoning. The pits are more poisonous if they are ground up/crushed or the seeds are chewed. Fruit that has not been pitted should not be blended into a smoothie. Symptoms include Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycosides
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Stems
