Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

 

Height Range

12-25'

 

Flower Color

Pink, Purple

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Green, Yellow Green

 

Bark Color

Grey

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low, Extra in Summer

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Multi-trunk Tree, Showy Flowers, Specimen

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Parking Strip, Patio

 

Special Uses

Screen, Mass Planting, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds, Butterflies

This deciduous shrub or small tree reaches 10 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. Beautiful magenta flowers appear in spring, before the leaves appear. Foliage is initally apple green, turning darker green during the summer, and then yellow in the fall. Seed pods dangle on this tree in winter. Western Redbud prefers full sun but will appreciate afternoon shade. It needs well draining soil. It is drought tolerant once it's established. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. A fabulous small tree for small spaces or patios.

Redbuds need well-draining soil; soggy soil will be their doom. More heat and drought tolerant than C. canadensis, though it may shed some leaves mid-summer as a drought response. Some die-out due to winter stress is inevitable; selectively prune out dead branches in late winter or early spring. Redbuds are available as either single-stem (sometimes called specimen or standards) or as a multistem, which is closer to its natural state of being and the form best suited for a natural look.