Arkansas Tree Database

Scientific name:

Prunus Cerasifera 'Atropurpurea'

Size:

15' tall by 10' wide

Leaves:

alternate, simple, 2"-4" long, toothed; purplish red

Flowers:

small, white to light pink, showy; March

Fruit:

showy, 1" stone fruit (called a drupe), edible, enjoyed by wildlife

Fall Interest:

varies from bronze to purple to red to orange through the year, depending on variety; deciduous

Culture:

sun; moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil; best suited to northwest Arkansas

Disease/Insect:

several, including aphids, borers, scale, tent caterillars, canker, leaf spots

Use:

showy flowering ornamental, small specimen shrub or tree

Cultivars:

'Atropurpurea,' 'Purple Pony,' 'Thundercloud,' 'Newport,' 'Nigra,' 'Krauter Vesuvius'

Notes:

can be messy and short-lived; attractive to birds; originated in Iran