About
Rounded, deciduous tree about 10m tall, with slender purple stems bearing bronze-purple young leaves, becoming bronze-green then green in late summer. Small, salmon-pink flowers, crowd the stems and fade with age, open in early and mid-spring with the leaves and may be followed by dark red, edible, plum-like fruit.
About the genus
Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeTrees
HabitBushy, Spreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height8-12 metres
Spread4-8 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in moderately fertile soil in full sun
PruningPruning group 1. Prune in mid-summer if silver leaf is a problem
PropagationPropagate by chip budding or grafting, although softwood cuttings in early summer with bottom heat can be successful
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to caterpillars, leaf-mining moths and bullfinches
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus