An eye-catching sign of spring, our native eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, blooms cheerfully from a reddish-purple bud to a rosy-pink to purple blossom in late March and early April on moist, well-drained soils often at the woodland edges. In its native distribution range from New Jersey to Florida, west to Texas and north to Nebraska, it can often be identified by its uniquely colored blossoms even from great distances or at highways speeds. On close inspection, its heart shaped leaves, zig zag twigs and colorful, edible blossoms are clear identifying characteristics. In the right conditions eastern redbud will typically grow to 20’ to 30’ feet tall with a spread of 25’ to 35’ feet, adapting to most conditions except consistent wet soils. We have a nice cluster of seedling redbuds being grown on Chapel Field by South Gate. There are currently four species of Cercis on our campus at The University of Maryland – College Park: Cercis canadensis, C. chinensis, C. reniformis, and C. glabra. To date we have 135 Cercis specimens in our Campus Tree Inventory.
Some popular cultivars of C. canadensis include: ‘Alba’- Similar growth to the straight species but flowers are white because they lack anthocyanin pigment. ‘Appalachian Red’- Similar growth to the straight species but flower color is more of a vibrant red. ‘Avondale’ – This is a cultivar of C. chinensis. Overall the growth habit of this selection and species are more compact than C. canadensis with dense flower production in a deep purple hue.