Sand Cherry ‘Sunset Ridge’

 

Cutting, November 27, 2021

One cutting didn’t turn color

Three glowing leaves still on this one today. 

Last year, I noticed one of the sand cherries by the side of the road kept bright red leaves for a long time after all the others in the neighborhood had dropped. This was well after a sudden early freeze and snow. Not only did it have remarkably colored leaves (many sand cherries have a bronze tone to their leaves, like ‘Pawnee Buttes’ which while attractive aren’t as striking to my eye). I knew that I wanted this brighter color form in my garden.  So this year, I took cuttings of that plant (it is in public space, and required only about 6” of twig). I was pleased when a number of them rooted. I eagerly anticipated the fall color and named them ‘Sunset Ridge’.  

Parent plant 2021

I was disappointed when this year the parent plant turned a rusty orange red and the fall color didn’t last longer than the rest of the sand cherries in the neighborhood. The leaves on my cuttings began coloring in early October, well before the parent plant, and didn’t fully color until the parent plant was losing its leaves. 

Early signs of color October 22, about three weeks after color first appeared. 

They slowly changed over the next few weeks and were the much brighter color that I remembered. They also have lasted much longer than any of the sand cherries in the neighborhood. I realize that it may be a matter of culture rather than that of cultivar. But I’m eagerly looking forward to see what they do next year.

November 3, 2021