Redbud

Cercis canadensis

Redbud blooms directly on the bare bark. magenta-pink flowers covering every twig, branch, and even the trunk before a single leaf opens. Walk past one in late March or early April and the color is almost shocking against brown leafless trees around it. Queen bumblebees emerging from winter find the flowers immediately. On a warm afternoon in early April with nothing else blooming, a redbud in full flower is surrounded by bees. Heart-shaped leaves emerge after the flowers, deep burgundy at first, maturing to green through summer and yellowing in fall. Flat brown seed pods form where the flowers were and persist through winter, eaten by chickadees and goldfinches. As a small specimen tree, edge tree, or understory flowering tree, redbud is among the most versatile and ecologically valuable natives in the catalog.