Purple Leaved Plum, Cherry Plum

Introduced in the early 1900s, this form of the Cherry Plum, also known as Myrobolan, usually sets only a few red fruits.

A popular tree often planted in city streets or verges, it is easy to maintain in a garden as it reacts well to very severe winter pruning. I once decimated an overgrown specimen in a friend’s garden by reducing the crown by about 60%. They were pretty sceptical, but now they always comment on its regrowth and apply the same treatment every five years!

It is most effective as a multi-stem tree to show off its amazing dark foliage from a low level.

A small tree with a rounded form, the Prunus cerasifera Nigra multi stem is most notable for its purple leaves and stems.

Early pink spring flowers fade to white before the leaves take full effect. This is a robust performer, thriving on most free-draining soils.

Mature height: 3-7m

Common names

Purple Leaved Plum, Cherry Plum

Height of tree

3-7m

Soil type

Well drained, Will tolerate most soil types

Shape

Multi-stemmed

Blossom Colour

Pink

Foliage Colour

Red/Purple

Information Flags

Good for bees

Looks good in

Summer, Spring

Location

Garden, Parkland

Genus

Prunus