The eastern redbud Cercis canadensis is native to North America east of the Rocky Mountains, from Canada to the Deep South into Florida. There are similar species in the west and in Europe, in fact one of the common names for this tree is the Judas Tree, because legend as it that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from one after he betrayed Christ. Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is a lovely small tree native to most of eastern North America.

Understanding the Context

With a gorgeous spring bloom and carefree adaptability, redbud deserves and gets a place in many landscapes. Plant breeders have been capitalizing on this tree's innate genetic diversity to produce cultivars with even more to offer than the straight species. Foliage color, flower color, and tree ... There is also Dogwood Winter, Locust Winter, Whippoorwill Winter, Redbud Winter and even Linsey-Woolsey Britches Winter.

Key Insights

Long before there were visuals on TV showing long-range weather patterns of the jet stream and ocean currents, local folks had sure signs for when to plant and when to wait. Make redbud jelly Jelly from redbud flowers is wonderful and easy to make. Since they are blooming now in west Kentucky, I decided to gather some and make up a batch. When gathering the blossoms, take care to avoid trees where the exhaust from automobiles might contaminate them. This is an excellent activity to involve children.

Final Thoughts

A thread in the Trees, Shrubs and Conifers forum, titled Eastern Redbud needs a little help from some friends A thread in the Beginner Gardening forum, titled Why are they called Redbud trees? It is generally the habit of these trees to bloom with the pink redbud flowers before the leaves appear. This year there were no blooms at all, and the leaves are now coming on. I guess that means no blooms for this year. I need some advice for my little Redbud tree. We live in La Jolla, CA (north end of San Diego), about 2 miles from the ocean.

Last March we planted a Western Redbud tree (either Mexican or Oklahoma variety) on our front bank. It has good drainage; full sun all day. It did well for a while with 7 minutes of watering every other day. Then the leaves began to look burned on the tips.