Planting Methods and Care Tips for the Purple-leaf Sand Cherry

Morphological Characteristics of the Purple-leaf Sand Cherry

The purple-leaf sand cherry grows 1.8 m to 2.5 m tall, with a crown spread of 1.5 m to 2.8 m; the young branches are purplish brown, and the old branches have lenticels. The flowers are solitary, pale pink, with 5 petals and a faint fragrance, blooming from April to May.

The purple-leaf sand cherry is a hybrid of the purple-leaf plum and the dwarf cherry. It is cultivated in various places; in China it is suitable for cultivation in North China, Central China, East China, South China and other regions, and in the Northeast it can overwinter safely in Liaoning, southern Jilin and other areas.

The purple-leaf sand cherry has a good color effect. Throughout the growing season its leaves are purplish red, bright and distinctive, with a compact tree form and dense foliage, giving the whole plant a fine color display. For potted applications, it can be made into medium-sized and miniature bonsai.

How to Grow the Purple-leaf Sand Cherry

Sunlight

The purple-leaf sand cherry is a light-loving tree species, but it is also cold-tolerant and shade-tolerant. Grown in a spot with insufficient light, its leaf color will turn green, so it should be planted in a place with ample sunlight.

Soil

The purple-leaf sand cherry is not strict about soil, but it grows best in fertile, deep, well-drained neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam; light clay is also acceptable. For pot cultivation, the pot should be somewhat deep and large, and broken tiles or pieces of hard plastic foam should be placed at the bottom of the pot to enhance the soil's air permeability and drainage capacity and to prevent root rot.

Water

The purple-leaf sand cherry likes a moist environment and dislikes waterlogging, so it should be planted in a high, dry spot. It is best to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged.

Ornamental Value of the Purple-leaf Sand Cherry

The purple-leaf sand cherry has a good ornamental effect, grows fast, propagates easily, tolerates pruning and has strong adaptability. It is generally propagated by grafting and cuttings; the rootstock for grafting is usually wild apricot or wild peach, with apricot rootstock being the best. It has strong sprouting ability, so in garden cultivation it can easily be trained into balls or hedges; through repeated pinching, multiple branches are formed, and before winter the miscellaneous branches are cut away and the leggy branches are heavily shortened, making it suitable for cultivation and ornamental use.

In landscaping, because of its strong branch sprouting ability, bright leaf color, and the fact that it is purplish red from bud break to leaf fall, the purple-leaf sand cherry can be planted as a whole in urban colored hedges or color blocks, or planted individually, making it one of the best tree species for greening and beautifying cities.