Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Magenta-pink flowers cover bare branches, even the trunk, before a single leaf opens. Early spring fuel for emerging queen bumblebees.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Magenta bloom on bare branches in March, queen bumblebees working the flowers, heart-shaped leaves through summer. redbud delivers three different reasons to love it across the year.
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.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown redbud propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 10–25 ft · 10–25 ft wide
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for redbud.
Full sun to part shade, adapts to a wide range of soils from clay to dry. Tolerates drought once established. Nitrogen-fixing root nodules reduce fertilizing needs. do not over-fertilize. Prune after flowering if shaping is needed. Remove any shoots from the base. One of the more adaptable small native trees available.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside redbud.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.