Cercis canadensis

A full picture of the Redbud tree
(Photo by Jessica Bartek)

View the Location on Campus

Taxonomy (1,2)

Classification: Angiosperm, dicot
Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Eastern Redbud, Judas tree

General Information (1,2)

Region of Origin: North America
USDA Plants Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Growth Habit: Tree

  • Size: 20-30 feet tall
  • Deciduous/Evergreen: Deciduous
  • Flowering: March-April
  • Fruiting: October

Diagnostic Characteristics

Leaves (1)

  • Arrangement: Alternate
  • Simple/Compound: Simple
  • Shape: Cordate
  • Other: Petiole is pulvinous

Redbud leaves 
(Photo by Jessica Bartek)

Stem/Bark (1)

  • Color: Inner- orange, Outer- brownish-black
  • Texture: Scaly

Redbud bark
(Photo by Jessica Bartek)

Flower (1)

  • Perfect/Imperfect: Perfect
  • Color: Pinkish-purple
  • Size: 0.5 inches long
  • Inflorescence type: Raceme

Redbud flowers
(Photo by Jessica Bartek)

Fruit (1)

  • Fruit type: Legume
  • Size: 2-3 inches long
  • Color: Reddish-green (Immature); Brownish-black (Mature)

Redbud fruit
(Photo by Jessica Bartek)

Horticultural Information (1,2)

  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  • Moisture: Constant moisture, well-drained
  • Maintenance: Easy to care for
  • Landscape uses: Ornamental, Shade tree, Shrub border, Frame for houses
  • Other: Plant by seed in fall, graft in spring or summer

Interesting Facts (2)

Judas Iscariot hung himself on an ancestor of the Eastern Redbud.

References

1)  Dirr, M. (1998). Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. (5th ed., pp. 208-211). Champaign, Illinois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

2)  Scheper, J. (1996, February 01). Cercis Canadensis. Retrieved from http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/cercis_c.cfm

Prepared by Jessica Bartek as a course requirement for BIOL 3630/5630, Spring 2013