Purpleleaf Sandcherry Redleaf Sandcherry Cistena Sandcherry Cistena Plum

Purple-leaf sand cherry is the compact, deciduous shrub or small tree with intense burgundy-purple foliage from spring through fall and fragrant, pink-white flowers in April. It grows six to ten feet tall with an upright, vase-shaped habit, and the dark foliage provides a color accent that reads as dramatic against green and gray-green companions. A hybrid between sand cherry and purple-leaved plum, it was developed at South Dakota State University in 1910 and has been a landscape staple ever since.

In Western Washington, purple-leaf sand cherry performs well in full sun with well-drained soil. The purple foliage color depends on sun intensity, shade produces a washed-out, greenish-purple that defeats the purpose. Several diseases are tracked, including the bacterial canker and borer problems common to ornamental Prunus species. The shrub is relatively short-lived, ten to fifteen years is typical, and can develop dieback with age. For a compact, purple-foliage accent in a sunny border, it provides dramatic color at an affordable price. Replace it when it declines rather than trying to nurse it along.