Plant of the Month
March 2008 - The Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Eastern Redbud
One of the many plants that herald spring is the Cercis canadensis. Hardy zones 4-9; this plant is native from New Jersey to Florida. This plant can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree. Either form can get to be about 25’ in height and 25-30’ in spread. Although there are a couple different cultivar colors for this plant the species color is a pinkish-purple. The flowers appear in our area around the middle of April and continue for about two weeks. The new leaf growth is a bronzy red that fades to bright green for the summer. It is well know for its heart-shaped leaves. Little pods appear as its fruit. This plant is great for native restoration areas or to just be a single specimen. Plant does well in all kinds of soil- except a heavy wet soil. Likes sun or light shade.
Cultivars:
‘Alba’ – White flowers
‘Forest Pansy’- Purple leaves and pinkish-purple flowers
‘Covey’ (also listed as ‘Lavender Twist’) - Weeping form with pinkish- purple flowers
Another popular form:
Cercis canadensis subspecies texensis ‘Oklahoma’ – Shiny green leaves and magenta flowers. Found natively in Texas & Oklahoma. Can grow in this area.