Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic

Copious clusters of fabulous pink to fuchsia flowers hug bare branches in early spring giving way to heart-shaped leaves. This Pea family member often grows as an understory tree in mixed forests in the Mid-Atlantic Region* from southern Pennsylvania through Virginia. The Virginia Native Plant Society named Eastern Redbud as Wildflower of the Year for 2013.

*It is native to DC. Its status in DE is historical. In VA, it is common in the mountains and the Piedmont and infrequent in the Coastal Plain.

Print Version (Legal Size): Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud)

Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud Pyrus calleryana - Bradford Pear, Paulownia tomentosa - Princess Tree, Koelreuteria paniculata - Golden Raintree, Albizia julibrissin - Mimosa / Silk Tree, Acer ginnala & A. platanoides - Amur & Norway Maples, Average, well-drained, Sun, Partial Shade, Shade, Moist wet, Plant young trees; deep taproots transplant poorly, Keep soil moist; prune dead branches promptly, Use as specimen, lawn or patio tree or naturalized, Attracts butterflies to flowers; birds & mammals to seeds; larval host for Henry’s Elfin & Lo moth, Flowers and young seed pods said to be edible, Tolerates clay soil and Black Walnut; susceptible to diseases like canker, anthracnose, verticillium wilt as well as occasional pest problems; deer occasionally-to-frequently severely damage, Smooth brown bark, later ridged and furrowed, Snow-pea-like seed pods (legumes) appear from May to December, ripening from green to brown, Pink to fuchsia flower clusters along bare branches appear before leaves in April and May, Heart-shaped, smooth-edged leaves, Short-trunked, deciduous tree with thick spreading branches and umbrella-like crown, Pink to purple, USDA Zones 4-8

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: Tried and True Plant Fact Sheets