Should I prune my young Purple Leaf Flowering Plum tree?

[jbbryant]

I need knowledgeable advice as trees are not at all my expertise. I live in a typical residential community in a mid-sized Iowa town. A couple of years ago I had to remove the only 2 trees from my south-facing front lawn.

Two autumns ago I planted a fledgling purple leaf flowering plum to replace them. It is growing well.

I've attached a picture of what I think of as little starts and suckers growing from or beside the tree.

My question: Should I trim those off? If so, how far up the tree? There are small branches with purple/reddish leaves all over the trunk in addition to the green ones you see here.

I live in Hardiness Zone 5a, though I doubt that matters.

Thanks!

 

[Jason Douglas]

Yeah get those green ones coming up from the base. They generally called suckers and are coming up from the root stock.

 

[jbbryant]

Thank you Jason. What about the tiny branches (not as visible in this pic) that are plentiful on the trunk, before the main branches begin to "Y" out? I am used to thinking of them as suckers too, but I'm not sure as the tree grows (it's roughly 5 1/2 to 6 feet right now) if those should be left to form additional branches?

 

[Jason Douglas]

Yes leave them as temporary branches. They well help the tree produce taper and aid in establishment.