One of my best-loved harbingers of fountain is the redbud Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Although we ’re a few weeks away from seeing the peak of this beautiful aboriginal tree here in Pennsylvania , I ’m already looking onwards to it . To me , there is no surer foretoken of spring ’s arriver than the blushful - pinkish flowers of the redbud .
The Eastern Redbud
The Eastern Cercis canadensis ( Cercis canadensis ) is native to the Eastern U.S. , growing from New England to Florida and west to Texas . It ’s a lovely , small , understory Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , attain only 20 to 30 feet tall with an equal width . The easterly redbud is adaptable to both moist and dry soil condition , and it expand in grunge with less - than - perfect fertility .
This redbud ’s blooms cluster tightly against the barren twigs in early to mid - April . After they drop a few weeks afterwards , 3 - column inch - long , pump - shaped leaves emerge . At first the foliage appear reddish - purple , but in the uncoiled species , it finally matures to a glossy green .
In late summertime , 3 - inch - long , flat seedpods arrive . This tree promptly ego - sow if the seedpods are left to ripen and discharge of course from the branches . you’re able to often find out small , young Cercis canadensis tree in the arena around a mature specimen . Letting a few of these child tree diagram raise is never a sorry estimation as , in my experience , Cercis canadensis are relatively short - live . Letting a tike take over when the parent tree diagram dies allows for a natural succession .
easterly redbuds are very common in the nursery trade . They do n’t like to be transplanted , so care should be taken in the planting and subsequent maintenance of this adorable tree . I have had better success acquire untried potted specimen than I have had with more matured ball - and - burlapped trees . Because redbuds are an understory tree , they prefer a part shaded site and often become stressed in full sunshine situations .
And just incase the square mintage does n’t come across your fancy , there are also several interesting cultivar on the market . Alba and Royal White have white flowers instead of pink , and Forest Pansy has burgundy - purple leafage . heart of Gold boasts pinkish flowers followed by chartreuse green leafage , The Rising Sun has orangey - yellow Modern foliage , and Merlot is a hybrid with increased heat and drought tolerance .
The Western Redbud
Another redbud species , the westerly redbud ( Cercis occidentalis ) , is a aboriginal of the western U.S. , including California , Utah and Arizona . It , too , bear rosy - pinkish bloom in former wintertime or early spring and looks very much like its eastern vis-a-vis in both leaf - physical body and works - form . However , this species does not survive extremely cold temperatures below about 15 degrees farad , though it does require a frisson period in lodge to go abeyant and train bloom bud . It ’s just for USDA hardiness zones 7 to 9 .
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