Purple Leaf Plum Tree, Blooming, or Ornamental? Flowering Plum Grow Tips

Image Credit: Wouter Hagens²⁹

Hardiness zones 5-8 have proven to be ideal growing environments for this ornamental tree, and states such as Idaho, Washington, California, Oregon, and Tennessee have taken advantage of their climates to plant this colorful tree strategically around their cities for maximum impact.

As a landscaping addition, it looks lovely.

Purple Leaf Plum Tree Growth Rate (Where To Plant Purple Plum Tree)

Every year the Purple Leaf Plum tree grows another 33 to 60 cm depending on the sun and if the soil has good drainage with a slightly acidic content.

If planted in an area where the exposure to sunlight is not above 6 hours, the leaves will turn a shade of green instead of the purple foliage they normally sport, so location is an important factor.

How tall does a Purple Leaf Plum tree get is a question often asked by keen gardeners who are ready to incorporate a splash of color into their otherwise monotone green landscape.

Just the deep purple leaves are enough of an eye-catching contrast as it slowly grows to its maximum height of 25 feet with a canopy just as wide, making it an ideal backyard tree addition.

The Purple Leaf Plum tree is not a giant among trees, is not the tallest or the most long-lived, but it makes a lovely addition to any yard.

Different Types of Plum Trees

The Purple Leaf Plum tree isn’t the only type of plum tree that is widely desirable throughout the United states.

In fact, here are just 12 of them that offer just as much color, and tastier fruits with a higher edibility factor that can be plucked and eaten straight from the tree.⁴

From this list, you will be able to decide which tree to have in your garden to satisfy your desire for aesthetics, for readily edible fresh fruits, or just for plums that are better used for baking or turning into preserves.

Flowering Plum Tree (Blooming Plum Tree) Identification

Knowledgeable landscapers are fully aware of how tall does a Purple Leaf Plum tree get, and recommend this medium-sized tree because it can be planted in small gardens without dominating the surroundings by its sheer size alone.

In full bloom, the canopy can be as wide as the tree is tall, but when that happens the sight of the bright pink or the whitest of white flowers are breathtaking.

With the addition of the heady sweet fragrances from the Purple Leaf Plum tree, incorporating one of them around your home will make every summer a sweet-smelling, and memorable one.

Purple Leaf Plum Hedge

When planted as a boundary line between two properties as a privacy screen, a Purple Leaf Plum hedge goes through a metamorphosis of color as the seasons change.

In spring, the leaves are red and the bright white flowers with a tinge of pink blossom a few weeks later.

Then purple-black berries ripen in autumn just as the leaves change color to a deep reddish purple, completely transforming the entire garden with a new look.

Growing to heights between 6 to 10 feet tall, it can be placed strategically as smaller shrubs throughout without involving any extra work, adding new contrasts to the environment.

How To Grow a Purple Leaf Plum Tree

The vibrant ornamental vision of the Purple Leaf Plum tree marks it as a very popular addition to any home garden,³ not just because of its coloring, but the capacity of its broad canopy to cast a big welcoming shade on hot sunny days.

There are a few requirements for planting it, however, depending on the starting point and the method of growing.

Still, full sun and well-draining soil are non-negotiable, as is the right hardiness zone.

From a Seed

Growing Purple Leaf Plum from a seed starts with the most enjoyable part, eating the fruit (or simply removing it) to get to the pit in the center.

After that, just a few steps need to be followed:

1. Remove all the remaining pulp by washing thoroughly in warm water.
2. Allow to dry then wrap in a moist paper towel, place in a plastic bag then refrigerate for 6-8 weeks for the crucial stratification process that is needed.
3. Prepare a potting plant with vermiculite and potting soil when the shoots appear and bury them about 5 cm deep.
4. Moisten the soil and place it in a sunlit area.
5. Select an outside location that receives at least 6 hours of sun and dig a hole 31 cm deep. Half-fill the hole with compost mixed with the soil, place the sprouting seed within it then fill the rest of the hole.
6. Water sparingly so the soil is moist.

It can take a few years from growing a Purple Leaf Plum from a seedling before the tree is bearing any fruit so in the meantime, mulching and fertilizing the base twice a year with regular watering is enough to maintain the tree’s health.

From a Cutting

Growing a Purple Leaf Plum from a cutting revolves around timing, from when the cutting is harvested to when it goes outside into the ground.

• Spring is the correct time to take a cutting just when the first buds begin to appear.
• Cut at an angle a length of about 15 cm from a shoot and clear away all the leaves apart from the top 3 or 4.
• Dip the cut in a rooting hormone solution.
• Fill a small planting pot with a potting mix and insert the cutting so it’s stable.
• Tamp down the soil, moisten it, then place the pot in indirect sunlight.
• Transplant into larger pots as the roots grow before planting outdoors after a couple of seasons.

One of the Purple Leaf Plum tree pros and cons is that although growing from seed is fairly easy it is not the best method as the tree may not be true to type, and the plums may taste different from the originals.⁸

A cutting or a sapling purchased from a garden center will yield a more positive result in terms of immediate color in your yard. Just remember to choose a plant from a local grower to ensure that it will transplant well, and to reduce the carbon footprint of the purchase.

When To Plant Purple Leaf Plum for the Best Yield

The lure of the purple leaves attracts gardeners just as much as the fragrant flowers and the tasty fruits. To grow and get the best yield from your new Purple Leaf Plum tree requires proper planning and proper planting.

Always think sun and soil.

Although tolerable in temperatures ranging as low as -7°C to the highs of the hot summer days, the Purple Leaf Plum tree is a hardy plant.

As long as the soil is kept moistened and it gets 6 or more hours of sun a day, then it will have happy leaves instead of ones that droop from lack of care.

The Purple Leaf Plum tree root system will not tolerate being over watered either so the soil has to be well-draining and slightly acidic with a  5.0-7.0 pH content.

If the soil conditions are insufficient, it is possible to create an elevated area with the exact soil requirements needed and these components can be bought and mixed from a gardening center.

It will take a bit of extra work but the tasty fruity rewards will be worth it in the long run. Once the area is chosen, transplanting into the ground needs to be done when the last frost has melted away and the ground is nice and thawed.

After the seedling is in the ground, the watering needs for Purple Leaf Plum plants are not complicated, only that the ground is kept moist. Care needs to be taken not to overwater or root rot may set in.

A few simple planting tips for Purple Leaf Plum trees is to insert your finger knuckle deep at the base to test for moisture. This is easier if the soil is not compacted so make sure it is slightly aerated.

If no soil adheres to your skin that signifies that the tree needs watering.

Small Garden Tree With Purple Leaves

In the world of plants that is dominated by green foliage, there are not many trees similar to the Purple Leaf Plum tree that sport purple leaves.

Let’s have a look at a few of them to widen the choices available when a splash of color is desired to add contrasting color to the land around your home.

• Barberries (Berberis thunbergii) (Image: AKuptsova²²)
• Crimson King (Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’)
• Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica) (Image: vickypawprince²³)
• Crabapples (Malus sp.)
• Forest Pansy (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’)

• Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)²
• Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) (Image: Ryutaro Tsukata²⁴)
• Royal Purple (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’)
• Purple Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) (Image: Carola68²⁵)
• Purple Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)

Any one of these trees would make an excellent addition as they grow a varied array of fragrant flowers and fruits and don’t grow to unbelievable heights, so can fit into different-sized landscapes.

What Is the Krauter Vesuvius Flowering Plum Tree?

One of the most impressive Purple Leaf Plum trees, the Krauter Vesuvius flowering plum tree has very deep purple leaves contrasted perfectly by white flowers tinged with a hint of pink.⁶

It doesn’t always bear plums, but when it does the small fruits, similar to cherries from a Cherry tree, are edible but have little to no taste.

If purchasing from a nursery, when comparing Purple Leaf Plum tree costs, the Krauter Vesuvius is actually slightly more expensive. ‘

But it is such a phenomenal ornamental specimen, that it would be worth paying much more to have it posed center stage in your garden.

Purple Leaf Plum Tree Problems (How To Stop Purple Leaf Plum Disease)

No tree is perfect. The weakness of the Purple Leaf Plum trees is that they are prone to pest infestations and susceptible to catching a myriad of diseases, and this weakness may well contribute in the long run to their short lifespan.

Here are a few of the common pests of the Purple Leaf Plum tree and some diseases to be on the lookout for:

• Symptoms: The tree can look as if it has been burned by a fire when it is covered with cankers.
• Treatment: Prune infected branches or limbs before it is too late.

• Symptoms: It first appears as small white spots but quickly looks as if the leaves have been coated with a fine white powder.
• Treatment: Spray with an organic fungicide with sulfur as an ingredient.

• Symptoms: Categorized by discolored rings on both the leaves and the fruits.
• Treatment: Generally once the plum pox infection gains attention,⁹ it is already too late for the tree and the only recourse is to remove it completely to halt any further spreading of the disease.

• Symptoms: They leave curling leaves, deformed fruits, and drooping flowers in their wake.
• Treatment: Use a natural pest control for Purple Leaf Plum trees by mixing essential oils and water, and then spraying liberally to get rid of them.

• Symptoms: Initially noticeable from the tents of soft webbing between the branches that house the larvae. When they hatch, the leaves will have multiple bite marks everywhere.
• Treatment: Cut away infected twigs or use an organic insecticide in the worst-case scenarios.

• Symptoms: Black holes can be seen in the bark of the trunk or branches, or the fruits as the larvae emerge after overwintering in the warmth of your tree. Dying branches are a sure sign that they are present, as is girdling.
• Treatment: Prevention is the best measure as they generally only invade trees like ornamentals that have become weakened either by disease,¹ drought, or a fungal infection

Companion Plants for Growing Purple Leaf Plum

As long as the Purple Leaf Plum tree receives sufficient water and is pruned regularly, it is a low-maintenance plant.

These types of trees are prone to some diseases and pests, unfortunately, and the best way to combat that is by prevention, by keeping the tree in a healthy state.

One of the best ways to achieve that is by planting companion plants either beneath the vast canopy or nearby to attract certain insect predators that consume the invasive pests but leave the tree unharmed. Or plant other types of vegetation with differing attributes that may increase the quality of the soil, attract pollinators to the surrounding flora, or even increase the yield of the plums.

Some plants to consider planting in and around your tree are:

• Marigolds: Pests such as white flies and eel-worms are repelled by a scent that comes from the roots of these pretty flowers
• Coriander: This herb has dual benefits. Its natural smell repels harmful insects but also attracts bees that are great for pollination
• Foxgloves: These flowers not only enhance the surroundings with their vibrant colors but also boosts the health of the local ecosystem
• Chives: Since fungal infections are commonplace with plum trees, planting chives close by will aid in keeping those diseases at bay
• Lentils: One of the main benefits of cover crops such as lentils, soybeans, and clover, is that they provide nutrients back into the soil that plum trees need for optimum fruit production

Apart from having these plants for beneficial reasons, planting trees such as a Purple Weeping Willow tree, a Magnolia tree, or even a Beech tree, will enhance the landscape aesthetically.

And the good news is that they will also reap the rewards of the companion plants and attract some of their own friendly pollination companions.

Is Purple Leaf Plum Tree Fruit Edible?

Not all the plums that grow on trees are immediately edible by humans. Either they are too sour, too bitter, or otherwise inedible. 

Animals and birds, on the other hand, are not as particular so for them they are always a bountiful feast.

Plums of the Purple Leaf Plum Tree

You can eat the fruit of the Purple Leaf Plum tree as well as other plum trees, have been producing all types of plums that have been incorporated into jams,⁷ desserts, sauces, stews, and even soups for centuries.

There can be no denying that this particular tree is majestically ornamental, that when it is in full bloom every year, it is visually stunning whether taking center stage or planted off to one side.

Are Plum Trees Toxic?

Many species of plum trees have cyanide in their leaves, stems, and the fruit pits. The level of toxin is small, however, so accidentally swallowing a pit is usually not poisonous.

Yet, if the pits are crushed and chewed, they can be toxic, so take care with small children and pets.

With all that it has to offer, the Purple Leaf Plum tree will produce fruit, but this ornamental tree is mostly chosen for its gorgeous colors.

Frequently Asked Questions About Purple Leaf Plum Tree