Hi Nihal,

Prunus is a family of plants to which plum and cherry trees belong. I suspect that you have an ornamental plum tree. The fact that your tree is "reaching" towards the window makes me suspect that it is not getting enough light. It is not uncommon for plants with colored leaves to revert back to green when they are not getting enough light. This is a little bit of a stretch ( a guess ) for me as I have never tried to make a ornamental tree a houseplant. I'm hoping that there is someone else, who is more familiar with plum trees, can answer your question. If not, I really suspect that light is the problem. It is very difficult to make a tree a houseplant even if one has a good sunny window. There just isn't strong enough light.

I hope this helps,

Larry

PS - You probably want this tree to be an inside plant, but is there anyway you can put it outside for a while? The new leaves may start to come out burgundy and that would definitely answer your question.

I agree with Larry, but would also add that some purple-leaved trees--I have Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' for instance--leaf out purple in the spring but as the season progresses it gets more and more green, even in full sun.

Hi,
I know not about your particular plant, but i do have a velvet plant, which is of course purple!

I know from that, that when it isn't getting enough light, the leaves start to lose the purple & return to green, until it get's more light, then slowly they turn a lush purple again!

I just wondered, as others have said if yes this could be a 'light' issue causing your problems?

Oh well, it was just a thought. Good luck with your tree/plant!

Hugs,
Mandy (UK)

Hello Nihal,

I just looked at your burgundy tree over on the gallery. Thanks for posting it. Unfortunately, now I don't know what it is. It doesn't look like an ornamental plum.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about Nihal placed a picture of his tree in the gallery. Hopefully one of you can make an identification.

Larry

Nihal, I have that shrub in my yard. It was in what used to be a fence line at the back of my property. It is purple in the spring and the leaves turn green in the summer. You could post your picture in the shrub forum and find out what it is. I keep thinking it might be a wild cherry or wild plum. Mine has not gotten very big.

Could it be a Nandina? Alohapalms.com used to sell them, (that's where I got mine) but last time I checked they were sold out. There are two types that were sold at Alohas, one was green, the other purple. The purple turned green certain times of the year. Check this plant at www.desert-tropicals.com Click on scientific names, then 'N' and look up Nandina..look at the pic. The one shown is the green, but maybe you can ID via leaves..Toni

Absolutely not a nandina, or a plum. I've attached the image to make it easier for those who are interested to take a look. It might very well be something that we are not familiar with, in this country.

I think you should post it in the Name That Plant Forum....there are some real identification experts over there!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Rhizo, that plant looks like a Smoke tree..is it possible?

Nihal, Check out the photos on this link ...your plant might be a "sport" selected for purple leaves. Your photo sure reminds me of my Sapium's fall foliage. Member of Euphorbia family.

I also have Euphorbia cotonifolia which has burgundy leaves very similar but the leaves on that plant grow much larger.
When you break off a twig or leaf is there a white sap...be careful...if it is a Euphorbia the sap can cause serious skin irritation and is particularly harmful to eyes or mouth. josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Sapium

Hi, I'm sorry for not responding sooner, I was out of town. Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions and insight.
I came across my same plant outdoors recently, and realized that indeed, it has insufficient light. Since I cannot put it outdoors, I will move it to another room where it will have more light and hopefully that will make it better.

Since I still don't know the name of my plant I will check out the various links you gave me and if I find the answer to this mystery, I will definitely let you know.

Thanks again everyone,
Nihal

Short follow up lest someone ever finds themselves in a similar situation:

I recently came across my same tree in a plant shop, bought it, and put it on the terrace in my second home.
After about 2 weeks, I noticed it was growing plenty of lovely PURPLE leaves... so I promptly returned home and put the other, indoor, tree, outdoors... It has lost alot of leaves in the meantime, and looks drab and sad, BUT... the leaves that ARE growing are lovely and PURPLE...
So it was a light issue after all, as some has suggested from the very beginning. I guess that no matter how much light OUR eyes see, it is not necessarily enough for the plant.

Thanks to ALL of you for your help and advice,
enjoy,
Nihal

And when you purchased this second tree, did you find out the name of it?

Cotinus coggygria (aka purple smoke bush)

"...how do I get it to return to its lovely purple colour?" Increasing the amount of light will return it to the purple toward which it tends.

Al

Breynia..looks like Breynia to me..Not the snowbush, but the other which I can't recall the name.

It looks like my smokebush, but also my potato vine! Breynia ~ only if those leaves are small enough (can't tell from the picture), but I somehow doubt it.

Definitely a Cotinus coggygria. I have one outside that is turning more green this year and I suspect it has to do with cutting back on my irrigation times per cycle, but I agree that anan indoor location could not provide enough light.