The Purple leaf plum was introduced from south eastern Europe many years ago and is now naturalised across the UK. There are many cultivars and the deep purple leaves and light purple flowers tend to be the dominant features. It is one of the first blossom trees to be in flower and an early source of food for bees and other pollinators. In Exeter they are often found in parks and green spaces but also found in private gardens. They are sometimes planted as street trees but these would most likely be cultivars which only produce blossom and little or no fruit. 

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Purple leaf plum can be either a small tree or shrub and is deciduous. Very often they are multi-stemmed trees. Due to their small size they make for a very nice feature in even smaller gardens. The average height is typically around 8 - 12m and the spread can be just as wide.

ENTIRE TREE

BARK & TRUNK

The bark is grey which becomes darker with age. There are many cracks and fissures across the bark which provide a lot of shelter for insects and spiders. The lifespan is very short for most cultivars and in some cases may be as little as 20 years. The growth rate is around 20 - 30cm per year. Suckering is quite common for this species of tree which can make it look bushy.

CANOPY

CROWN

The leaves  are the first thing that make this tree stand out during the summer. It is often mixed up with the Copper beech from a distance. The deep purple leaves begin to show in late February just after the initial floweing has begun. The leaves are very dark purple and around 3 - 7cm long with serrated edges. When under the canopy on a bight summers day it is very pretty with the mixed shades of purple flittering between the branches. There are fine white hairs on the underside of the leaves in the veins. The surface of the leaf is darker than the underside.

BRANCHES & TWIGS

LEAVES

The flowers are pink / purple and are in full bloom from mid February and throughout March. They are one of the first blossom trees to be in flower and can tranform the landscape quickly. The flowers are hermaphrodite which means both the male and female parts are found within the same flower. They are pollinated by a wide variety of insects and act as a very important early source of nectar. 

FLOWERS

FRUIT (STONE)

The flowers will mature into golf ball sized fruits - which are known as drupes. They are very smooth and shiny and will remain on the tree until September time usually. The drupe is classed as a stone fruit like most plum and cherry trees.

BUDS

GROUND LITTER

OTHER USEFUL DATA

The Biodiversity Heritage Library

Carbon performance certificate by Treeconomics for Barcham Pro Trees

Carbon capture data by Treeconomics for Barcham Pro Trees

OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES

www.barcham.co.uk

www.paramountplants.co.uk

www.chewvalleytrees.co.uk

www.rhs.org.uk

www.gardenia.net

www.vdberk.co.uk

QUICK FACTS

• The Purple leaf plum was introduced from south eastern Europe
• It is now naturalised across the UK
• It is a deciduous tree - which means it sheds it leaves during the cold season
  
• ​It is one of the first blossom trees to be in flower and an early source of food for bees and other pollinators.
• ​There are many cultivars and the deep purple leaves and light purple flowers tend to be the dominant features
• ​They are sometimes planted as street trees but these would most likely be cultivars which only produce blossom and little or no fruit
• ​​Purple leaf plum can be either a small tree or shrub
• ​Due to their small size they make for a very nice feature in even smaller gardens
• The bark is grey which becomes darker with age
• ​There are many cracks and fissures across the bark which provide a lot of shelter for insects and spiders
• ​The lifespan is very short for most cultivars and in some cases may be as little as 20 years
• ​The growth rate is around 20 - 30cm per year
• ​Suckering is quite common for this species of tree which can make it look bushy
• ​The leaves  are the first thing that make this tree stand out during the summer
• ​ It is often mixed up with the Copper beech from a distance
• ​​The deep purple leaves begin to show in late February just after the initial floweing has begun
• The leaves are very dark purple and around 3 - 7cm long with serrated edges
• ​When under the canopy on a bight summers day it is very pretty with the mixed shades of purple flittering between the branches
• ​There are fine white hairs on the underside of the leaves in the veins
• The surface of the leaf is darker than the underside
• ​The flowers are pink / purple and are in full bloom from mid February and throughout March
• They are one of the first blossom trees to be in flower and can tranform the landscape quickly
• ​The flowers are hermaphrodite which means both the male and female parts are found within the same flower
• ​They are pollinated by a wide variety of insects and act as a very important early source of nectar
• ​The flowers will mature into golf ball sized fruits - which are known as drupes
• ​They are very smooth and shiny and will remain on the tree until September time usually
• ​The drupe is classed as a stone fruit like most plum and cherry trees
• ​Cultivated cherry plums can have fruits, foliage, and flowers in any of several colours
• Some varieties have sweet fruits that can be eaten fresh, while others are sour and better for making jam
  
• Birds eat the ripe fruits and help disperse the seeds

PLEASE LEAF ME ANY FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

If there is anything out of place or wrong please contact me. Equally if there is anything you wish to add please let me know. The more information we have about Purple leaf plum the better. Many thanks!

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