Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
Flowering, purple-leaf plums are a staple of the landscape industry. Homeowners are attracted to the spring pink blossoms and reddish-purple foliage while nurseries find them fast and easy to produce. Their small stature qualifies them for many situations. Flowering plums (actually most trees in the genus Prunus,) are by nature short-lived, healthy in the landscape for only 15 to 30 years. These trees are notorious for poor branching habits and thus require considerable pruning and training to develop sound structure.