Mystery plant is likely a dwarf red-leaf plum

Q: My neighbors have the cutest shrub that they are calling a western sandcherry. It’s about three growing seasons old and has pretty dark red plum-colored leaves during the spring through summer. Then it drops all of the leaves in the fall with the first hard frost. The stems are sort of purplish, and in the early spring, it flowers sweet, white/pinkish flowers. I’ve looked up western sandcherry and the description doesn’t fit. Do you know what shrub they have so I can find a couple too? — C.P., Los Lunas

A: I think the shrub, from your description, is in the ornamental flowering plum family. It’s called a dwarf red-leaf plum (Prunus cistena).

You didn’t say how tall your neighbors’ shrub has grown, but know that if it’s happy, it does have the genetics to get to over 6 feet tall. They do take to pruning, so if you are wanting to keep it on the demure side, you can.

The dwarf red-leaf plum is a really lovely plant that offers purple-red color all growing season long. The blooms are flat-faced, apple flower-shaped look-alikes in that white-pinky color that makes the springtime bloom so happy. You also get the added benefit of encouraging bees to come and find good forage.

This plant can set fruit — imagine a black plum — in miniature. Some considered it to be messy but it’s not a truly prolific fruiter, so it’s not a big concern.

The plant called western sandcherry is a horse of a different color. This plant — Prunus besseyi — is more shrub-shaped and will stay that way. The western sandcherry tends to stay short, rarely getting to five feet tall and wide. The flower on the sandcherry is white, — you don’t get that pinky blush like with a dwarf red-leaf plum.

The bark of the sandcherry doesn’t have a purplish tint, it looks rather grayish. When the western sandcherry is in bloom, you get a stem that is usually covered by the white blooms, making a great place for bees to forage.

The sandcherry will set more of an actual fruit that are ¾-inch “cherries” that will turn quite black when ripe. Know that the birds will be watching, so if you want to harvest for jams or jelly, be on guard.

I’ve read that western sandcherry can withstand cold, heat, drought and wind. However, a consistently watered western sandcherry will look and stay healthier longer.

Neither plant wants to try and thrive in soggy soil, but water is necessary for their health. So, I hope I haven’t confused you, but I think the shrub you are admiring is a dwarf red-leaf plum. Here’s to finding the one you truly want.

Q: I found a great deal on gladiolus bulbs. I really don’t want to plant 75 of them all at once, getting one grand bloom and then they are finished. Can I stagger the planting and have the gladiolus in bloom for a longer time during the growing season? — G.H., Albuquerque

A: You sure can. The book “Down to Earth, A Gardener’s Guide to the Albuquerque Area,” written by the Albuquerque Area Extension Master Gardeners, actually suggests planting gladiolus bulbs in stages so you get those glorious blooms for an extended time.

In the area you want to have them, set out maybe a dozen. Don’t clump them too closely because every other week you will want to set in another dozen (or whatever amount you choose).

Mark your calendar, then get out there and plant another set. By doing this, you could have gladiolus in bloom for weeks.

Be sure to plant the bulbs twice their depth, a 1½-inch tall bulb gets planted three inches deep. Remember to never allow the area to dry out and you will be rewarded with color galore.

Enjoy your staggered planting while you’re out there Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin’ In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.