[1] A deciduous leggy bush or shrubby tree, it typically reaches a height of 1.5–2.5 meters (5–8 ft) and has a useful life of 10–20 years.

[citation needed] Frost-tolerant, purple leaf sand cherries can be grown up to USDA Hardiness Zone 2a.

Commercial specimens are typically grafted to a rootstock from any of a number of other species, which will influence their growth form and final height.

[citation needed] Prunus × cistena was developed by Niels Ebbesen Hansen in 1910.

[2] In 1993 it won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.