Eastern Redbud: Stunning Year-Round Foliage

Known as the harbinger of Spring, the Eastern Redbud’s delicate blossoms and buds are one of the seasons most breathtaking displays. Spectacular rosy pink blossoms appear in dramatic fashion in April. But this tree’s beauty doesn’t end with its flowery show. It offers wonderfully colorful foliage year-round with reddish-brown leaves changing to dark green then to yellow in the Fall. In addition, its unique and irregular branching patterns combine with a trunk that commonly divides close to the ground to create a very handsome, spreading and often flat-topped crown. Even in Winter, covered with snow, the Eastern Redbud is stunning. This elegant species is a wonderful addition to any space.

Wildlife

The seeds are eaten by the northern bobwhite and a few songbirds, such as chickadees. The tree is also used for nesting sites and nesting materials and provides shelter for numerous birds and mammals.

History

Native to North America and Canada with cousins in Europe and Asia. First cultivated in 1811. The Spaniards noted Redbuds and made distinctions between the New World species and their cousins in the Mediterranean region in 1571.

Well-earned designation as the State tree of Oklahoma. George Washington reported in his diary on many occasions about the beauty of the tree and spent many hours in his garden transplanting seedlings obtained from the nearby forest.