Blutpflaume 'Nigra'

Season Overview

Description

The blood plum 'Nigra' impresses with its dark red, glossy leaves and dark brown-red to blackish bark. In spring, countless small, pink-colored flowers cover the densely growing branches. They form before the foliage sprouts or at the same time as it does. This striking coloration of light and dark shades of red, brown and pink characterizes the (bot.) Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'. This beautiful plant belongs to the rose family and is also known in many gardens as the cherry plum. The heavenly attractiveness of this shrub is particularly striking next to trees and shrubs with light green foliage. Its warm colors provide beautiful contrasts and color gradients. In the garden or in public green spaces, this whimsical coloration makes for a colorful spectacle. In autumn, the leaves take on an intense dark red color. It is particularly effective next to full and dense greenery. Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' can be cultivated either as a free-standing shrub or as a tree with a rounded to conical crown. Outdoors, the plant becomes a shrub and develops over time into a very beautiful large shrub with tree-like dimensions. Thorough pruning over the winter ensures that the blood plum 'Nigra' branches out strongly and forms a well-branched, dense crown. The ornamental shrub develops comparatively slowly and with age into overhanging branches that make for a decorative sight. If you prefer straight-growing branches, shorten them with an annual pruning and shape them in this way. It's important to weigh things up here, as the early flowering usually means that some of the flowering is lost through pruning. Summer is therefore ideal for topiary. The plants tolerate such pruning best around St. John's Day (24.06.). Grown as trees, they reach a considerable height and width and are shown to their best advantage in a solitary position. If the enchanting blood plum is cultivated as a shrub, it is ideal for solitary plantings. It also cuts a great figure in a group. As a hedge, the ornamental shrub looks fantastic. Native birds like to build their nests in the dense branching. The blood plum 'Nigra', whose name is derived from the dark red foliage, grows best in a bright and warm location with plenty of direct sunlight. It is characterized by a high degree of tolerance to almost any garden soil and occasional drought. It is often an insensitive and attractive plant. As the Prunus cerasifera Nigra decorates in April and May, it produces small fruits that are visually reminiscent of cherries. No wonder the plant is often called cherry plum. The inconspicuous fruits are edible and have a sweet taste. They have a diameter of two to three centimetres and can be enjoyed by the family from July to August. Enjoy this delicious snack when fully ripe in late summer on a variety of occasions. The little vitamin bombs are popular for use in the kitchen. They are used in cakes, jams, liqueurs and compotes. They are also a delicious refreshment for young and old as a freshly picked snack.

Growing tips

Ll

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Dark germinator

Germination temperature

18 - 22 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

400 cm

Row spacing

400 cm

Seeding depth

2.5 cm