Garden Column for the Salisbury Post
Darrell Blackwelder
April 12, 2002
Spring has always been my favorite time of the year. Spring
color from native and ornamental trees paints the landscapes
around the county. The perfect companion tree for dogwood is the
redbud(Cercis canadensis). I've often wondered why the tree was
called redbuds when the blooms are more rosy-pink with a purple
tinge. Many often ask about small trees for the landscape. I
never hesitate to recommend redbuds.
Redbuds are native to this area, growing as far south as
northern Florida and as far north as New Jersey extending west to
Mexico. Redbuds grow with a flat topped to rounded crown in both
sun or shade reaching a maximum height of 20-25 feet. It can
grow as mulistem or trained to single trunk tree preferring
moist soils from clays to loams.It is the perfect compliment to
dogwoods which are in full bloom now. Redbuds do well massed with
dogwood in wooded landscapes or as single specimen plants.
There are quite a few cultivars brought to North Carolina
from as far away as Korea. The J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh
has one if not the largest redbud collection in the world. The
name is very misleading as flowers of different cultivars range
from what to pure pink. Being a true legume, the flower is pea-
like producing interesting seed pods. Named varieties may also
have glossy or purple leafed forms.
If redbuds have one problem, it would have to be its
relatively short life. Most native trees have problems with
canker and Verticillium wilt. Newer cultivars have disease resistance.
Insect pests are usually do not pose much of a threat in our area.
Below are culivars that are worth the extra effort to
locate.
Cercis Canadensis cultivars
'Alba'--white flowers
'Royal White' This cultivar has larger flowers and a more compact form than
variety Alba.
'Forest Pansy'-purple leaved type,shiny leaves, flowers are rose purple and later
than native redbud.
'Pink Charm'--Flowers are soft pink without purple tint.
`Flame' This is a doublepink form.
Distant cousins to the native redbud is the chinese redbud
(Cercis chinensis) This is a small, multistemmed shrub that
grows 6 to 10 feet tall and wide. Its rosy purple flowers are
showier and more profuse than Eastern Redbud. Leaves are also
thicker. Culivars 'Avondale' and 'Don Egolf are popular
cultivars.