Eastern Redbud – Cercis canadensis – Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards

Redbud twig in winter — Twigs are thin and show a weak zig-zag pattern with light colored pores.

Redbud in flower — A large shrub or small tree up to 30’ with a short, often twisted trunk and spreading branches. Bark initially smooth and brown; later ridged and furrowed to scaly and dark gray; may have some maroon patches evident and orange in the cracks.

Redbud flowers in spring — These flowers are often described as looking like little hummingbirds.

Redbud cauliflory — Cauliflory refers to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks. Redbud flowers from new growth and shoots as well as main stems and woody trunks.

Redbud flowers with emerging leaves — Very showy, pea-like, pink to light purple in color, ½” long, appearing in clusters in early spring before the leaves.

Redbud heart shaped leaves — Leaves are alternate, simple, cordate (or heart) shaped, 3-5” long and wide, with an entire margin, thin and papery green above and slightly paler below. The leaf stem (or petiole) is conspicuously swollen on both ends.

Redbud seed pods — Fruit are flattened, dry legumes, brown, 2-4” long that contain flat, elliptical, brown seeds ¼” long, maturing in late summer and sometimes hanging on throughout winter.

Plant Characteristics:

Tree: up to 30 ft tall
Bark: reddish brown to blackish, thin shallowly fissured, with somewhat scaly ridges
Twigs: slender, zig-zagged, light to dark brown, shiny, with lots of small, pale lenticels
Buds: small, dark red, oval, blunt, appressed with 2-3 scales, dark purplish red
Leaves: deciduous, alternate, simple and heart shaped
Fall Foliage: yellow
Flowers: fuchsia to pink pea-like
Fruit type: legume 3.5 in long

Additional Details:

Add flowers and flower buds to salads for added color. Although slightly bitter, they are high in vitamin C.
The buds, flowers, and young pods can be sautéed in butter (approx. 10 mins) and eaten.
Once used for diarrhea and dysentery.

Redbuds have an adaptation called cauliflory meaning “stem flower”. Flowers and fruit develop directly from trunks and woody branches. This adaptation is more prevalent in the tropics. Examples include: papaya, fig, and cacao (chocolate).

References:
Brown, R. and M. Brown. 1972. Woody Plants of Maryland. Port City Press, Baltimore, MD.
Foster, S. and J. Duke. 1990. A field guide to medicinal plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Grimm, W. C. and J. Kartesz. 2002. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, PA.
Harris, J. and M. Woolf Harris. 1994. Plant Identification Terminology: An illustrated Glossary. Spring Lake Publishing, Spring Lake, UT.
Peterson, L. 1977. A field guide to edible wild plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Virginia Department of Forestry. 2022. Common Native Trees of Virginia – Tree Identification Guide.
The Wildflower Center Staff. 2023. Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin.