Where to Buy Purple Leaf Plum (Prunus cerasifera) Seeds

Purple leaf plum (often Prunus cerasifera 'Atropurpurea' or 'Thundercloud') is widely sold as a grafted nursery tree—but seed is another matter.

Seed Availability

• Most ornamental plums are cultivars propagated by budding/grafting. Seed-grown trees vary widely in leaf color, size, and form.
• Commercial seed sources are rare. One option: Seedman.com lists Prunus cerasifera seed (species type, not named cultivars).

Better Alternatives

1. Buy a grafted tree from a local nursery—guaranteed color, form, and early flowering.
2. Take summer cuttings from a tree you admire (softwood, rooting hormone, mist).
3. Collect and stratify seed yourself if you have access to fruit: clean pits, stratify 90–120 days cold/moist, sow spring.

If You Sow Seed

Expect variability. Some seedlings will have deep purple leaves; others will revert to green. It's a numbers game—grow 20, select the best 1–2.

For a reliable purple-leaf specimen, buy the tree. For a breeding project, grow the seed.