Green Alder vs Purple Leaf Sand Cherry - TreeTime.ca

Green Alder vs Purple Leaf Sand Cherry

Prunus x cistena

Alnus alnobetula subsp. crispa

CUSTOM GROW

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
Green Alder

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry provides bright reddish-purple leaves that turn bronze-green in the fall. In the spring, tiny flowers with a pinkish white hue bloom. The flowers are small, but the impact comes from the shrub blossoming all at once.

The Purple leaf sand cherry can be susceptible to pests and diseases in more humid areas; a typical life span is approximately 15 years. Not suitable for a privacy hedge on its own but is often alternated with lilacs. Often used as an accent plant that attracts birds and bees.

Green Alder is a cold hardy, native shrub. It is often planted on infertile sites so it can fix nitrogen from the air and improve the soil quality.

Green Alder is known for its smooth grey bark and attractive shiny green leaves; it is commonly used in reclamation.

Purple Leaf Sand Cherry Quick Facts

Green Alder Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: low
Suckering: high

Toxicity: the leaves and seed are slightly toxic

Foliage: purple leaves
Fall colour: dark red
Bark: dark red to purple
Flowers: pinkish
Fruit: dark red fruit
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


In row spacing: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Other Names: purpleleaf sandcherry
Other Names: mountain alder, sitka alder