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photo of Dr. Mark Brand

Meet the Breeder

Dr. Mark Brand

STAY CLASSY®

Purple leaf sand cherry

Prunus × cistena

'UCONNPCSDR'

PP36173; CBRAF

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Stay Classy purple leaf sand cherry in a landscape "} Stay Classy Prunus with purple foliage in a landscape
  • Very colorful foliage
  • Compact habit
  • Extremely hardy
Description

Finally, a better purple leaf sand cherry! The first cross for this landscape staple was made in South Dakota back in 1910, but not much has happened to improve it since then. We're delighted to change that with Stay Classy® purple leaf sand cherry (Prunus × cistena) from Dr. Mark Brand at the University of Connecticut. Its foliage is very dark, but there's plenty of space within its branches and leaves to avoid the dreaded "black hole" look. It's also about half the size of conventional types, reaching a super-useful 3-4' tall and 4' wide. It bears pretty white flowers in spring, but this is really more of a foliage workhorse, equally suited to beautifying home and residential landscapes. Very fast to finish, too!

USDA Zone
2 - 8 (-50°F/-45°C)
Exposure
Full sun, Part sun
Height
3-4'
Width
4'
Finish Time
1 season
Type
Deciduous
Bloom Time
Spring
Flower Color
White
Foliage Color
Purple
Liner Sizes
2 1/4", 4", Quick Turn

Soil

Any well-drained soil will do.

Pruning

Blooms on old wood; prune after flowering. If flowering isn't important, may be pruned as needed, though its naturally compact habit should require little to no maintenance.

Uses

Borders, low hedges, perennial gardens, containers, foliage interest.

Growing Tips

Dense habit means that rejuvenation pruning will seldom be required.

Features: Alkaline soil, Clay soil, Compact, Cut flower, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Foliage interest

Filters: Botanical genus: Prunus, Common name: Purple leaf sand cherry, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 2, USDA Zone 3, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Spring, White flowers, Purple foliage

Features: Alkaline soil, Clay soil, Compact, Cut flower, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Foliage interest

Filters: Botanical genus: Prunus, Common name: Purple leaf sand cherry, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 2, USDA Zone 3, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Spring, White flowers, Purple foliage