I have exactly such a hedge. I cut it back to 2-3 feet every year or two after flowering. Mine is in a raised amended bed, partly shade. (We have clay soil and I just threw 6 inches of compost above it to raise the bed above the surrounding area, largely for aesthetic reasons.)

Have had it maybe 4-7 years. Not one moment's trouble. Nice foliage all summer, the flowers are an extra--nothing spectacular.

It isn't the neatest growing plant in the world: the branches aren't symmetrical or anything orderly. But it keeps people walking down the sidewalk from staring into our patio.

Thank you. Comforting to hear.

Ironically enough - same purpose - to block people who are walking down the street from seeing us on our patio.

Thanks again!

Success region-specific. Here it often fails, due to heavy spring dieback (from something like brown rot or bacterial canker, common on certain stone fruits). Specimens against warm walls and/or under overhangs may escape and remain attractive.

I have 3 of them on opposite sides of the property (Zone 5)-- 2 against the house facing the west and 1 fairly out in the open. They've only been in the ground for 2 seasons but so far, not a bit of trouble; very low maintenance and they leafed out earlier than most of my other flowering shrubs.

Do they seem to withstand winds ok then?

Mine have. We got some pretty heavy winds this past season (in addition to lots of snow and ice--enough to uproot one my skyrocket junipers) and the one sandcherry I have out in the open with no shelter (just planted last fall) looks unscathed. It flowered nicely and is almost entirely leafed out. I think they're pretty tough plants.

Well. I put three in. Let's see what happens.

japanese beetles love 'em

Regarding Sandcherries' vunerability to Japanese Beetles (and other insect pests) ... put a dose of Bayer Tree & Shrub Systemic Insecticide on them once a year.

This will lighten the Japanese Beetle attack ... and make for overall healthier shrubs.

Here in MA, my sand cherry has been eaten the last 3 years by the winter moth caterpillar. I've picked at least 30 caterpillars off of it this week! It always seems to survive though. The winter moth is invading MA pretty hard recently, and the caterpillars mostly focus on trees. The sand cherry is the only shrub in my yard that these catepillars will eat.

I have one - which I had to move as the rabbits were nibbling it to death. I shifted it to the front garden where it has recovered - but has white/grey scale which I have had to try to brush off by hand (as its still la small plant.

I have one that's just a year old. It was loaded with flowers this spring. I agree the Japanese beetles do LOVE it. I used Bayer and it helped considerably.

I have a 12 yr old sand cherry tree and starting 3 years ago,half of the leaves die off when the flowers have finished blooming. I have to prune it severely because it looks so bad. Treating it with a fungicide last year didn't seem to help. Any ideas?

Purple Leaf Sandcherries only last 7 - 15 years so I don't know how much time I'd put into the 12yr old plant.

I'm speaking of zone 4 and 5. I'm shocked that my 13 year plant is still thriving, more than likely because its in a protected south east spot.

Had my sandcherry bushes in for at least 20 years, against an east facing wooden fence. I enjoy the color, but they must be replaced as the branches have become rotten (from past fungal infection?) and growth has become more open with much die back this year. New growth is occurring at the base of the bush on the old wood. Caterpillars do like the leaves. Thanks for all the helpful hints. I will replant with new ones and hopefully keep them a little more healthy with the suggestions.

Old thread, but just wanted to mention that if you use insecticides, they will kill native pollinators/insects that love purple sand cherry bushes also. People can knock the Japanese beetles off into a bucket of soapy water if they want to avoid this. It's more labor intensive, but SO much better for the environment. We have to start accepting that native plants will have things that eat them, as they evolved together (well, not in the case of Japanese beetles) and try to use tactics that aren't so harmful to the native insects that birds have come to depend on to feed their babies.

Sweet :)