Question:
We would like to plant a row of purple leaf plum trees to screen our yard from our neighbor’s. The purple foliage and pink flowers are very appealing; however, several people have mentioned a messy fruit. I was under the impression that they were fruitless. Prunus c. Krauter Vesuvius was the variety suggested by our garden center. Is there any additional information we need to know?Answer:
- The purple leaf, flowering plum is a popular landscape tree in the Bay Area. Currently, there are three varieties planted, Prunus Blireana, Prunus c. Krauter Vesuvius and Prunus c. Thundercloud. However, there isn’t one variety that combines all the characteristics you’re seeking, dark purple/red foliage, colorful flowers, and no fruit.
- Prunus Blireiana is the variety with double, pink flowers and is fruitless. The foliage starts out as a purple/red color but fades by mid-summer to a coppery/green.
- Prunus c. K. Vesuvius foliage has dark blackish-purple/red foliage all summer with single, light pink flowers. It can produce fruit but not every year.
- Prunus c. Thundercloud produces fruit has dark purple/red foliage with single, white flowers. Deciding which variety to plant is now a matter of tradeoffs.
- If you decide on Prunus c. K. Vesuvius, you can abort the fruit with Florel Fruit Eliminator by Monterey Lawn and Garden. This is done annually when it’s in bloom. There is no way to determine ahead of time whether it will or will not be productive.
- When using trees as a screen, plant them far enough from the fence so when they mature the majority of the growth remains on your side. You avoid any possibility of a neighbor dispute in the future. I’d plant flowering plums eight feet from a fence and eight feet apart. You want the canopies to overlap. It’s one canopy with multiple trunks, not individual trees. They have pruned annually during the winter month but the best time to prune is after they finish blooming. Pruning earlier will reduce the number of flowering branches.
Question:
I like to transplant a ten-year-old Persimmon tree to another location? Can that be done now?Answer:
- It’s not too late to transplant a Persimmon but moving a ten-year-old tree is not an easy task.
- The problem gardeners face is the size and weight of the root ball. The root ball should be twenty-four to thirty-six inches square. I can’t tell you how heavy that will be but it’s more than what several people can handle. You’ll need to rent some equipment to dig up and move it. Another option is to hire a landscape to move the tree.
- And the third option is to plant a new Persimmon tree in this spot, leaving the original tree where it be. I’d contact Moon Valley Nursery for the availability and cost of an established Persimmon( https://www.moonvalleynurseries.com/ ). It should include the planting charge.