Trees · Rosaceae
Purple-leaf plum
Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii'
Spanish Ciruelo rojoCatalan Pruner de fulla vermellaIntroduced4–8 mDeciduous
The tree with dark red leaves: in February it fills with little pale pink flowers.
- LeafBroad and flat
- LeafYes, a single blade
- ShapeOval
- EdgeToothed
- On the twigOne at a time, staggered
- In winterNo, it loses them
- BarkSmooth
- BarkFurrowed
- FruitFleshy
The leaf
A simple, oval leaf, 3 to 6 cm, with a finely toothed edge. It stays a deep purplish red all season.
The bark
Dark brown, smooth and with horizontal stripes on young trees; it cracks on old ones.
The fruit
Small round plums, 2 to 3 cm, dark red. They are edible, although many trees bear few.
The flower
Small five-petalled flowers, white or pale pink, that cover the tree at the end of winter, before or as the leaves come out.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Habit
A small tree with a dense, rounded crown.
Where it grows
Widely planted in the streets, squares and gardens of towns and cities throughout Catalonia for the colour of its leaves.
What it can be mistaken for
In flower it can be mistaken for the almond, which has green, narrow leaves, and for the wild cherry, with larger flowers in drooping clusters. The Judas tree has fuchsia flowers and round leaves.
A story
This red-leaved variety was found by the French gardener Pissard, who worked for the Shah of Persia, and he sent it to France around 1880.
Find out more
- Tree: Javier martin, Public domain
- Leaf: Desconocido, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bark: Nadiatalent, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fruit: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us
- Flower: MrPanyGoff, CC BY-SA 3.0