Which bush has red leaves?

A shrubthat bears red leaves is very decorative in the garden. You should plant red-leaved species as solitary trees or in contrast to green trees. If you place several shrubs with red leaves next to each other, the attractive effect is easily lost.

Blood plum - an intensely colored shrub

The blood plum is a variety of the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera). It has intense red foliage in a dark carmine to black red. Some varieties turn green in summer, others keep red leaves until autumn.

After the pink bloom from April to May, fruits develop that are edible in some varieties. However, this is not always the case. Inquire about your ornamental shrub.

You can plant the resilient blood plums either as a shrub or as a small tree that can grow up to seven meters high. The wood remains in good shape as a shrub by pruning. Sun or partial shade are tolerated.

Blood barberry has dense red leaves

The blood barberry (Berberis thunbergii Atropurpurea) remains smaller at up to two meters and is characterized by its particularly thick, scarlet leaves. For this you have to accept thorny shoots.

Small red ones form in autumn Berry. These fruits are edible and contain a lot of vitamin C. The blood barberry is excellent as Privacy screen and is a popular shrub for natural hedges.

Berberis species are undemanding and extremely frost-hardy, tolerate pruning without any problems and are content with almost any soil and any location.

Lavender heather - red shoots as an ornament in every garden

The lavender heather is a little more demanding than the other two varieties. It thanks good care with white flowers in March and later red shoots of the foliage. This will slowly turn green after about four weeks.

Lavender heather belongs to the heather family. The variety Pieris japonica Red Mill, cultivated in gardens, does not grow as tall as the wild species. With a height of up to 1.5 meters, it remains suitable for the garden. If the bushy ornamental shrub feels good, it can live up to 70 years.

Acid soil and a partially shaded location are ideal. More mineral fertilizer is badly tolerated. If the soil contains too many nutrients, it makes sense to mix in sand. You can cut back lavender heather, but it is not necessary.

Red wig bush - remarkable eye-catcher

The red wig bush cannot be overlooked in the garden. Inverted egg-shaped leaves with a deep red metallic sheen are simply noticeable. There are also 20 centimeters long wig-like fruit bunches. They are formed from feathery, silky flowers.

Despite its exotic appearance, the shrub is very robust and can cope with urban climates. The wig bush can be cut back so that you can determine its size. Without a cut, it can grow up to two meters high. Plant the Red Wig Bush in a hedge next to green-leafy bushes. This is how its special appearance stands out attractively.

Purple sloe with edible fruits

A recommended wood for natural gardens is the purple sloe. There are the red-leaved sloes with white flowers (Prunus spinosa Purpurea) or pink flowers (Prunus spinosa Rosea).

This shrub fulfills many wishes: it is undemanding, cut-resistant, frost-hardy, a flowering dream in spring, red leaves in summer and has edible fruits from autumn.

Since sloes protect themselves with thorns and later bear fruit, they are welcome in natural hedges by birds, both as a safe breeding place and as a source of food.

Red leaves grouped together in the garden

In the meantime there are almost all common ornamental shrubs and trees as red-leaved cultivars. The part of the name "blood" or "red" reveals that you can expect red leaves. The table summarizes some of the possibilities.

Overview of red-leaved varieties
shrub	Features and / or special features
Blood plum (Prunus cerasifera Nigra)	Shrub or small tree, flowers in April to May, edible fruits, dark red foliage, various varieties on sale
Blood barberry (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea)	robust, thorny shrub, ideal for natural hedges, flowers in April, May, small red, edible berries, very undemanding, can be pruned
Blood corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana Red Majestic)	up to 2.5 meters high in spring, long red catkins, older leaves turn bronze-green, very hardy
Lavender heather (Pieris japonica Red Mill)	somewhat more demanding ornamental shrub, red leaves when shoots, white flowers from March, easy to prune, otherwise up to two meters high
Red wig bush (Cotinus coggygria Royal Purple)	three to four meters high, hardy, warm and sunny planting, reddish panicles of flowers in early summer next to black-red leaves
Red dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)	beautiful red autumn colors, in winter the bark of young branches glows wonderfully red, hence the name, the foliage is green in summer, beautiful flowers, bee pasture
Purple sloe (prunus spinosa purpurea)	two to three meters high, thorny, especially dark red when shoots, later red-green in penumbra April white flowers, edible fruits from September that can tolerate a little frost, undemanding, sunny location ideal

The basic rule is that a red-leaved shrub is better placed in the sun. In partial shade it often turns green. You can get many trees that remain small in the trade with red leaves. This includes in particular different types of maple. Blood birches, poplars or beeches grow larger.

Even red-leaved elder (Sambucus nigra Black Tower) can be planted. Then you have red leaves, white flowers with a lovely scent, and later black berries. Fantastic culinary delights can be conjured up from the flowers and fruits.