SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cercis canadensis

COMMON NAME: eastern redbud

FLOWERS: Pink flowers before the leaves in March. Will flower up and down branches. Many zygomorphic flowers per tree.

LEAVES: Alternate and cordate shaped with 7 palmate veins. Petiole is light red and swollen at leaf blade. Up to 4" long.

FRUIT: 3" bean pod that is purplish when it first comes out in the late spring and then turns brown at maturity.

GROWTH HABIT: Usually single trunked and 20' to 30' tall.

OTHER: Native to the south and eastern United States, but hardy to zone 3. Bark may have grey blotches on it and become ridge and furrowed when older. Will grow in full sun or light shade. Needs a well drained soil, but will grow in almost any soil type over a wide range of pH. Is drought tolerant. Can be used as a single specimen tree or in groupings. A member of the Fabaceae family. Historical tree that has delighted southern landscapes for centuries.