[nafex] Purple leaves, tasty fruit

["Mark Lee" <piper3@uswest.net>]

I enjoy purple leaves the landscape.  I keep my eyes open for plants 
that provide tasty edibles and also have purple leaves.  I have been 
growing purple leaved kale in my garden for years.  Last year I 
planted a purple beech in hopes of beating the squirrels to the beech 
nuts. This tree died from neglect during our dry summer :( so I think 
I will plant another.

While researching cherries recently, I came across Prunus x cistena, 
purple leaved sand cherry.  It mainly offer ornament in the garden, 
but a few fruits sometimes show up also.  I noticed that Raintree 
Nursery offers it.

Any experience with Prunus x cistena?  Lon, is this like nanking 
cherry that doesn't have a chance in the wet Pacific Northwest?

Thanks,
Mark Lee
Seattle