Family: Fabaceae (Pea or legume family)
Duration: Perennial
Height: 4.5 - 9 m (15-30 ft)
Blooming: April - May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis L.
Stem: the bark is smooth when young but becomes furrowed and scaly when older. The stems are dark colored with lenticel spots speckling the surface.
Flowers: abundant pink to light reddish purple small flowers that grow off the nodes in clusters before the leaves appear.
Leaves: simple, alternate leaves that can get up to 12.5 cm (5 in) long. They turn a yellow-gold color in autumn.
Sun: full sun to part shade
SOURCES & FURTHER RESOURCES:
Comments: Redbuds don't live to be 100 years old, but offer a good 20 years of service. It is sometimes referred to as "Judas tree" because its sister species in Europe was thought to be the tree Judas Iscariot hung himself from.
Butterfly or moth host plant: Redbuds are a caterpillar host plant to the Io moth (Automeris io). Their nectar is a food source for Juvenal's duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) and zebra swallowtails (Eurytides marcellus).
all photos by Nathanael Pilla
Landscape: This gorgeous, small tree is popular in landscapes across its range due to its multi-stemmed form, attractive and showy flowers, and its gold autumn color.
