Identification

• The Purpleleaf plum tree, Prunus cerasifera, is a small ornamental or flowering tree that provides exceptional color for a garden or backyard. In addition to producing white and pink flowers in early spring, the tree offers edible fruit in late summer that is well-suited for consumption by both humans and animals.
  
  

Geography

• The Arbor Day Foundation provides well-rounded information on the purple leaf plum tree. The organization notes that the tree thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 4 through 9, an area that encompasses nearly all of the United States, aside from small portions of Florida, Texas, California and spots in the extreme upper Midwest.
  
  

Size and Soil

• A summation of the attributes of the Purpleleaf plum is also provided by the website of Eastern New Mexico University. That school indicates that the tree typically achieves a height of between 15 and 25 feet with leaves growing between 2 and 4 inches long. It appreciates well-drained, slightly alkaline soil.