Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis.
Paul Nelson
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Family:
Caesalpiniaceae (sennas); sometimes in Fabaceae (beans, peas)
Description:
Eastern redbud is a shrub or small tree. It is very ornamental in spring with small, clustered, rose-purple flowers covering the bare branches before the leaves.
Leaves are simple, alternate, 2–6 inches long, 1¼–6 inches wide, oval to heart-shaped, tip pointed, base heart-shaped; upper surface dark green, smooth; lower surface paler and smooth with some hairs along veins and in vein axils; leaf stalk 1¼–5 inches long, smooth.
Bark is reddish brown to gray, thin and smooth when young. Older trees have long grooves and short, thin, blocky plates.
Twigs are slender, smooth, brown to gray, often zigzag, pith white.
Blooms in late March to early May.
Flowers small, 2–8 per cluster, on stalks ¼–¾ inch long; flowers 1/4–3/8 inch long, rose-purple, petals 5, in a typical pea-flower configuration.
Fruits are pods 3–4 inches long, about ½ inch wide, tapering at the ends, leathery, reddish brown; seeds several, egg-shaped, flattened, 1/8–1/4 inch long. Pods often abundant, appearing September–October and persisting.
Size:
At maturity, to 40 feet tall; to 35 feet wide.
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Eastern Redbud
Eastern redbud is a native shrub or small tree that is distinctly ornamental in spring.
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Eastern Redbud
Redbud grows statewide, in open woodland, borders of woods, dolomite glades, and along rocky streams and bluffs.
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Eastern Redbud (Flowers)
In spring, eastern redbud's rose-purple flowers cover the bare branches before the leaves.
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Eat a Tree
The hot pink flowers of eastern redbud have a nutty, sweet taste similar to sugar snap peas. Yum!
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Redbud Flowers in a Salad
For a colorful spring salad, top baby spinach greens with redbud flowers, strawberries, and sliced almonds. A basic vinaigrette shaken with a spoonful of strawberry jam goes nicely with it.
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Eastern Redbud Flowers
Clusters of hot pink, pea-like flowers hug the branches of an eastern redbud.
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Redbud Pod Starting to Form
Redbud flowers turn into redbud fruits. At maturity, redbud pods will be 3–4 inches long.
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Eastern Redbud
Eastern redbud flowers are edible and can be eaten in salads, either raw or pickled.
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A redbud branch in bloom
User submitted photo
FG-0073_Redbud.mp4
Video of a redbud tree in bloom.
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A redbud tree in bloom
User submitted photo
Habitat and conservation:
Found in open woodland, borders of woods, dolomite glades, and along rocky streams and bluffs; also found in landscape plantings. In the wild, it is generally an understory tree.
Distribution in Missouri:
Statewide.
Status:
Common understory tree.
Human connections:
Eastern redbud and its cultivars are favorite small, spring-flowering trees for landscaping; in fall the leaves turn yellow or greenish yellow. Many find the pods attractive as well. The flowers are edible and can be eaten in salads, either raw or pickled; in Mexico, they are fried. Our woodlands in spring are beautified by clouds of blooming understory trees, notably the magenta of redbuds and the white of dogwoods, a boon to Missouri tourism.
Ecosystem connections:
The seeds are eaten by several species of birds, and the foliage is browsed by white-tailed deer. The flowers are a springtime nectar source for bees. Redbud also provides cover for many mammals and birds.
Great Places to See Eastern Redbud
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.