Prunus padus Colorata - Purple European Bird Cherry
Prunus padus Colorata is a striking tree with excellent contrasts and changes of colour across the year. The leaf buds and new stems begin life a deep purple, bronzing into a coppery tone as the leaves unfurl and becoming deep green in summer. The flowers appear in May, while the leaves are still fresh, on long flowering strands called racemes. Each delicate flower has pale pink petals around a rose-hip coloured centre and they face out in every direction from their central stalk, appearing all the more vivid because of the rich foliage. They have a subtle, pleasant smell similar to almonds, which is a nice way of letting us know that they contain trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide - don't worry, the flowers can't harm you, even if you ate them. The fruit are small, black and popular with birds
We are lucky to have Prunus Colorata - this unusual bird cherry was discovered by chance in Sweden in the 1950's and all existing trees are clones of that original tree, as it doesn't come true from seed. The RHS loves this tree and has given it 3 awards since 1974, two for its cuttings on display and the Award of Garden Merit for being easy to grow and good looking. Mature trees won't reach much more than 10 metres, 35 feet.
Prunus padus Colorata is a really easy tree to please and, being a Scandinavian breed, is hardy enough for anywhere in the British isles. Soil type is unimportant, though you can always expect stronger growth if you improve poor soil with some well rotted compost and manure. Being a fairly small tree, it is used to being overshadowed and grow happily in a shady spot, though you may get fewer flowers if it is too gloomy. The only thing this tree needs is decent drainage.
If you are unclear about the way standard trees are sized, take a look at our Guide to Standard Tree Sizing or you can go back to our main standard trees page.
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