The seedpods are very decorative and good for dried arrangements until they split to spill the millions of fine duff-like seed. The seed doesn't look like seed because it does not store food for the embryo; it's just like fluff. It can be germinated, either in agar in sterile conditions, or, according to Michael Wilton in New Zealand, in sphagnum moss sterilized by pouring boiling water over it; bringing it back to the boil and then allowing it to cool before loosely packing it into clean pots. Pots are set in saucers kept topped up with water in a sunny position, at room temperature, and fresh seed from pods that have just opened, or are about to, is sprinkled on top. After about twelve weeks, the small, rootless, seedlings are potted in fresh moss (prepared as for the seeding) and allowed to grow on for the rest of the season. The next year, the small tubers are potted in potting mix and set outside to grow on. Flowering takes about three or four years from sowing. Seeding in laboratory conditions would cut about a year off the time from seeding to flowering. My one attempt using sphagnum moss was not successful, but I did not sterilize the moss and, following another person's instructions, simply enclosed the moss in a zip lock bag. One of these days, I'm going to try this again, using Michael's directions.
Purple leafed Sand Cherry foliage is a nice red-purple all season, (a perfect foil for the small, fragrant, pink flowers in spring), deepening to a somber red-brown tone in fall. A cross between P. pumila and P. cerasifera 'Atropurpurea', this is one of the hardiest of purple leafed plants (USDA zones 2-8). It's an excellent choice for the small garden since it only gets seven to ten feet (2.13 - 3.04m) tall with about half that spread. Most information you read says they require full sun, but mine seems to be doing well on the south side of our house under the high shade of a large oak. It gets a lot of sun early in the season, and not much direct sun once the oak leafs out. Not only are they hardy, they are very pH adaptable and will accept any average soil as long as it drains well. Like most of this genus, they aren't long-lived plants, and are subject to all the pests and diseases that plague the genus. But, don't let that stop you from planting one and enjoying it for the twenty years or so it will be with you.
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