Other Names:  Brush Cherry, Magenta Lilly Pilly

Description:

An excellent choice to maintain as a hedge or screen because of its fast, dense growth; young leaves are coppery bronze, maturing to deep glossy green; attractive white flowers in spring or summer followed by edible berries in fall

Ornamental Features

Magenta Cherry features showy white pincushion flowers at the ends of the branches from mid spring to mid summer. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The small glossy pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The fruits are showy red drupes carried in abundance from late summer to late fall. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. The rough gray bark and brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The oblong sour fruit is most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Preserves

Landscape Attributes

Magenta Cherry is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Magenta Cherry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Magenta Cherry will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Magenta Cherry is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.