This easy-to-grow tree stays smaller and produces a stunning spring show of pink or white flowers.
The seedpods also hold onto the branches into the fall, adding winter interest.
It is considered a small deciduous tree, typically growing no taller than 30 feet in height.
Credit: Virginia Weiler
Before planting, check that to choose one that is suited foryour hardiness zone.
With redbud saplings, you have more flexibility, and you might plant in the spring or fall.
Fill in half the soil, water thoroughly, and continue adding soil until the roots are covered.
Credit: Virginia Weiler
Add 3 to 4 inches of mulch to help the soil retain moisture.
Redbud Tree Care Tips
Redbuds are easy-to-grow trees that don’t need a lot of care.
Give themwell-drained soilwith even moisture, and they’ll be content.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Come fall, redbud trees sport beautiful golden color.
This is because the deciduous tree’s seedpods hold on through the winter.
When the weather is hot and dry, the leaves may curl up.
Credit: Jerry Pavia
If you cant offer shelter when this happens, double-check your tree is getting plenty of water.
Give the tree a gallon or two of water each week for the first year.
After that, provide water only when the soil feels dry about three inches down.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Redbud trees do not tolerate wet soil.
Nearly all redbuds will perish if exposed to temperatures below -35F.
Give the tree some supplemental water if the soil seems dry.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Most redbuds also require a certain number of chill hours to produce blooms.
Eastern redbuds, for example, do best with 700 hours of temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reduce the length of lateral branches to keep the trees structure strong and allow for passage near the trunk.
Credit: Jason Wilde
Diseased or damaged redbud branches can be removed at any time.
Collect and dispose of all discarded tree parts to avoid further contamination.
Verticillium wilt is another issue to watch out for.
Credit: David McDonald
It will cause leaves to turn yellow and brown andif left untendedcause branches to die off one by one.
Collect the seed pods in the fall and hang them with string to dry.
After a couple of days, remove the seeds from the pods.
Credit: Karlis Grants
To break through the seed coat, submerge the seeds in boiling water for one minute.
Place the seeds in the mix and place the bag in your refrigerator for about 5 to 10 weeks.
Place the containers outside in an area that receives about 6 hours of sun each day.
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
If temperatures dip below 35 degrees Fahrenheit, bring them inside.
Once the seedlings are approximately 6 inches tall, they can be planted in the ground.
Press the treated tip into a 6-inch nursery pot filled with equal parts moist milled peat and perlite.
Check the moisture levels regularly to verify your soil doesnt dry out.
After 4 to 6 weeks, check to see if your cutting has taken root.
Allow the plant to grow in the 10-inch pot in a shady outdoor spot throughout the summer.
Acclimate it to direct sunlight only when the summer is winding down.
It can be planted in the ground in the fall.
Types of Redbud Trees
There have been many exciting new redbud introductions in the past few years.
Breeding work has focused on dwarf varieties, which are ideal for small garden options.
Many novelty varieties, like new weeping forms with burgundy foliage, have also been introduced.
It grows 30 feet tall and wide and is hardy in Zones 6-9.
Judas Tree
Cercis siliquastrumis a 15-to-25-foot-tall tree native to Southern Europe and Western Asia.
It features heart-shaped leaves that emerge a rich bronze color and turn reddish-purple and dark green with age.
It is adorned with breathtaking clusters of maroon flowers in spring.
It is hardy in Zones 6-10.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensisis the most common variety of redbud and the official state tree of Oklahoma.
It grows 30 feet tall and wide and is hardy in Zones 5-9.
It grows 12 feet tall and wide and is hardy in Zones 5-9.
Its flowers decorate leafless branches in spring just as the Eastern redbud(Cercis canadensis)does.
Western redbud grows 10-20 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 8-10.
It is hardy in Zones 4-8.
Foamflower
A close cousin to coralbells,foamfloweris a perennial that prefers to grow in dappled shade.
Foamflowers are hardy in Zones 3-9.
Astilbe is hardy in Zones 4-8.
It is normal for redbud trees to shed their bark and not a sign of disease or death.
As the tree matures, inner layers of bark thicken and push out the outer layers.
Eventually, those outer layers crack and peel away revealing a copper-colored inner layer.
