Prunus Cistena - Purpleleaf Sand Cherry

[berobinson82]

Howdy.

Spring has sprung in Central Va and buds are finally swelling. I was talking to a friend who works at a plant nursery about kusamono when I found this little guy. On sale. Not that I was looking but the price said take it home and throw a cutter to it.

Not sure if anyone else has used this type of cherry before. If not, I'll let you know how it goes over the years. My concern is its tendency to contract harmful pests and diseases. I'll try and stay on top of treating for both.

Anyways, thought I'd share and start the progression. Cheers!

 

[Poink88]

Nice "muscles" on that trunk. Looks like a fun project.

I like to start from this a bit more if it were mine...

 

[GrimLore]

Curious if that is a Dwarf Variety either one grows pretty fast though.

Grimmy

 

[lordy]

Nice "muscles" on that trunk. Looks like a fun project.

I like to start from this a bit more if it were mine...

actually the right side shows more taper, if a bit less movement.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I have one in my yard...I moved it because it was being stunted being to near a walnut tree. Then assumed we killed it with hardscape up near the trunk. Pruned it real hard...expecting it dead come spring...and it rejuvenate like crazy! Never had issues with pests or anything else with ours. Beautiful when in bloom.

I think it will be interesting to watch it take off...and bloom as well.

 

[berobinson82]

Curious if that is a Dwarf Variety either one grows pretty fast though.

Grimmy

I believe this is the prunus X cistena which is the faster of the 2.

 

[aml1014]

I know this is kinda old but are there any updates on this tree I was thinking about getting one and would like to know how yours did.

 

[sorce]

@berobinson82
Yeah,
Where the hell you been!?

Sorce

 

[berobinson82]

@sorce

Still watering, fertilizing, and waiting. I gotta stop killing stuff before I can enjoy the hobby again. I hadn't logged in for a while but I've been lurking in the shadows. That cherry is dead btw. It pushed new growth and was looking very healthy and one week it started to drop branches one by one until there was nothing to salvage. Thanks for the summon.

 

[sorce]

@sorce

Still watering, fertilizing, and waiting. I gotta stop killing stuff before I can enjoy the hobby again. I hadn't logged in for a while but I've been lurking in the shadows. That cherry is dead btw. It pushed new growth and was looking very healthy and one week it started to drop branches one by one until there was nothing to salvage. Thanks for the summon.

Amen Bro.

Good to hear from ya!

Sorce

 

[cbroad]

@berobinson82
Sorry for bumping an old post...
I was the one who talked you into buying that Sand Cherry (sorry it died); but I had the same issue that you had with one of mine last summer. The leaves just started wilting one day and within a few days it was dead. I did minimal root work; mostly just repotting in new soil, so I don't think it was necessarily anything from repotting. I noticed mine oozing sap near the root crown and then i started seeing the wilt... I think mine could of had canker from some bacterial infection. Since they both came from the same lot, ours probably had the same issue. Did you see any oozing?
Boreres could also be the culprit; I had boreres kill a Jap. Maple and a Trident last year also. I'm not sure if the same species of borer would attack maples and cherries but I saw the same symptoms on my Jap. Maple; leaves wilting and then new stems loosing turgidity. I know Cherries can be susceptible to a lot of maladies; and at the store we tossed some that were doing poorly. But if you want to try your hand again with them, I have a few at home and could give you another one, just stop by the store and let me know!

 

[berobinson82]

@cbroad
Hey man! It's been too long. I haven't stopped by the GBGH for way too long. Yeah man, I'm not sure what really happened to this one. It seemed to be doing amazing until that fatal day. When I did my post mortem inspection, I didn't notice anything that stood out. Maybe I was just too aggressive on the roots early on. I'd like to try again with that species. I'll pop by the store. Heck, might even do it today since it's nice out.
Good to see you on the board. I'm lurking more than posting these days but this is still the best bonsai site online, imo.

Cheers,

B

 

[AlainK]

The problem with many prunus is that if you don't keep leaf buds on a branch, it will very likely die. So pruning it hard is very risky, the die-back may be very important.

Here are two examples. I have these two made from cuttings in late winter, under a cold frame.

1/ I let this one grow freely and mainly prune it when the leaves are out. It will never be a top-shelf "bonsai", but these are among the first flowers in the season, so I just keep it as it is, in a pot that I bought for the equivalent of $2 at a car boot sale:

By the way, it is one month earlier than last year!

2/ The top of this one died. It's common for such like species to drop branches with no apparent reason, but here it was because I pruned it too hard I think. No flowers on this one because I chose the leaves buds to rebuild it.
Today:

But it did flower last year.

29 March 2015:

Actually, I'm not really 100% sure they're Prunus x cistena, they might be Prunus pissardii...

 

[cbroad]

@berobinson82
Haha yeah I'm definitely doing a lot of lurking myself. I'm getting the fever really bad, I have big plans this spring! Already dug some stuff, bought some starters, planning a few air layers, and putting a lot of my plants back in actual soil; trying to step it up this year! I think I'm finally going to join RBS too. I'll probably see you at the workshop if your coming (I'm more than likely working that day, but you might see me lurking behind the tropicals).


@AlainK
Nice plants! I like where you're going with the cascade.
I don't have much personal bonsai experience with prunus, but working at a nursery I see and hear a lot of issues that come up with them; mine were headed for the "big green metal box" behind the greenhouse. One of the sand cherries I took home was a 4 ft. b&b. After washing off all the clay I found that the growers buried it too deep and that it had a main root system and another one about 8 in. above it. So I chopped it in half; more of an experiment than a desire for two plants. But what the hell, I was pushing the limits; that's kinda what we do right? After about a week, both plants were pushing buds all over the place and the bottom halve put out a 5 ft. whip in about a month.

The actual sand cherry (P. pumila) is a prostrate grower, which originally lead me to believe it probably ground layers well and probably has adventitous buds, so that's why I chopped it and suspected it would back bud. I wasn't familiar with Pissardi, but you're probably right that the uprights just don't like hard pruning.

Nonetheless, I'm planning on using a systemic this year on all my plants to keep bugs and diseases away; I'm the only one allowed to kill my plants!