Redbud Tree a Four Season Beauty

Beautiful reddish purple buds line the branches and trunks of the picturesque redbud tree. As the temperatures warm the buds burst into rosy pink or magenta blooms. And this is just the beginning of this tree’s beauty.

The redbud is a great tree for formal, naturalized and woodland plantings. Its small size makes it a perfect specimen tree in small space gardens. Hardy in zones 4 to 9, redbuds grow best in moist well-drained soils in full sun or light shade.

Once the flowers fade re tinged heart shaped leaves emerge and eventually turn a lustrous green or blue-green for the summer. Enjoy the fall leaves as they turn yellow or red, depending on the species. Dried pods hang from the tree, adding winter interest to the wonderful form and exfoliating bark of this tree.

Since this tree has a wide growing range, select a variety grown from a local seed source and suited to your growing conditions.

A bit more information: The Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is native from New Jersey to northern Florida and west to Missouri, Texas and northern Mexico. It is hardy in zones 4 to 9 and marginally in zone 3. Minnesota strains are most hardy. The Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) is native to western U.S. and hardy in zones 7 to 9 and 10 on the west coast.