General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 7b
Plant Height: 6-10 feet
Plant Spread: 4-6 feet
Leaves: Good fall color
Unusual foliage color
Deciduous
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Blooms on old wood
Flower Color: Bi-Color: White on the outside, pink in the center
Flower Time: Spring
Suitable Locations: Xeriscapic
Uses: Windbreak or Hedge
Erosion control
Flowering Tree
Cut Flower
Will Naturalize
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Birds
Pollinators: Various insects
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM
Parentage: Prunus cerasifera x Prunus pumila

Image
Common names
  • Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
  • Purple-Leaf Sand Cherry

Photo Gallery
Location: Maine
Location: New Zealand
Location: Riverview, Robson, B.C. 
Date: 2009-05-18
 11:33 am. The heart of the blossom copies the colour of the leav
Location: IL
Date: 2005-04-20
Location: Southern Maine
Date: May
Flowers had extra petals on one twig...really lovely.

Date: 2022-04-16
Location: Clinton, Michigan 49236
Date: 2018-05-11
"Prunus x cistena, 2018 photo, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, , USDA Ha
Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-05-22
Most flowers have five petals, I’ve counted up to 9
Location: Southern Maine
Date: August 2022
Purple fruit of Purple Leaf Sand Cherry … first I have ever not
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Riverview, Robson, B.C. 
Date: 2009-10-27
 10:48 am. The Fall colour of rosy red leaves is enhanced by the
Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-05-22
Shrub is at least 30 years old.
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-04-22
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2016-04-18
Photo by Salems
Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2015-05-23
Sometimes has blooms with extra petals
Location: Clinton, Michigan 49236
Date: 2018-05-11
"Prunus x cistena, 2018 photo, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, , USDA Ha
Location: My Garden
Date: 2013-07-12
Location: My Garden
Date: 2013-07-12
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Date: May 22, 2017
just beginning to bloom
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2014-05-10
Location: My backyard in Allentown, PA
Date: 2016-04-01
Sandy awaking from her long winters nap.
Location: Clinton, Michigan 49236
Date: 2018-05-11
"Prunus x cistena, 2018 photo, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry, , USDA Ha
Photo by robertduval14

photo credit: Gerardo Noriega
Location: Twisp
Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-03-23
New leaves
Location: Luca's Nursery, Ypsilanti, MI
Date: 2011-05-12
Location: Schwartz Greenhouse, Romulus, MI
Date: 2012-04-05
Location: Denver Metro, CO
Date: 2012-04-05
Kinda closeup of brandnew leaves & a few flowers.
Location: Schwartz Greenhouse, Romulus, MI
Date: 2012-04-05
Location: Schwartz Greenhouse, Romulus, MI
Date: 2012-04-05
Location: Schwartz Greenhouse, Romulus, MI
Date: 2012-04-05
Location: Schwartz Greenhouse, Romulus, MI
Date: 2012-04-05
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Nov 23, 2018 8:22 PM concerning plant:
    This is a hybrid between the Purple-leaf Plum Tree or Pissard Plum (Prunus cerasifera 'Atropurpurea', that was introduced into France from Iran in 1880 from the Shah's gardens, with the Sandcherry (Prunus pumila) that is a shrub of willow-like habit from the northeastern US. It was introduced by Dr. Hansen of South Dakota State University in 1910 into the nursery trade. Most every conventional nursery sells some form of this hybrid in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast US. It does have pretty red foliage and nice flowers in spring. However, I've always considered it as a fast growing, cheap, junky shrub. Many homeowners use it wrongly with yellow foliaged plants and bluer foliaged evergreens to create a gaudy bright colour spot that takes away from the vision of the home. Its root system like that of the Purple-leaf Plum Tree is weak and it often lodges some. After about 15 years in regions where there are summer bouts of humid, hot spells, especially with drought, this shrub is attacked by canker disease and borers and dies out. I've seen this a lot in the Chicago, IL, and Philadelphia, PA regions. I used to have a photo of several shrubs in a group dying in the front yard of a large house in Media, PA, about 2012.

« Add a new plant to the database

« The Plants Database Front Page

Today's site banner is by Lucius93 and is called "Erysimum cheiri"

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.