Redbud's visual impact offsets its relatively brief life span

We would love to grow a redbud in our backyard, but we’ve heard that their life spans aren’t very long. Are they still worth growing? If so, can you give us any tips for success?

One of my favorite harbingers of spring is the redbud tree. Though we’re a few weeks away from seeing the blossoms of this beautiful native tree here in Pennsylvania, I’m already looking forward to it. To me, there is no surer sign of spring’s arrival than the rosy-pink flowers of the redbud.

Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is native to the Eastern U.S., from New England to Florida and west to Texas. They are lovely, small, understory trees. Reaching only 20 to 30 feet high with an equal width, eastern redbuds are adaptable to both moist and dry soil conditions, and they thrive in soil with less-than-perfect fertility.

The blooms are clustered tightly against the bare twigs in early to mid-April. After they drop a few weeks later, 3-inch-long, heart-shaped leaves emerge. At first the foliage appears reddish purple, but in the straight species, it eventually matures to a glossy green.

In late summer, 3-inch-long, flat seedpods arrive. This tree readily self-sows if the seedpods are left to mature and drop naturally from the branches.

Visual impact

You can often find small, young redbud trees in the area around a mature specimen, and letting a few of these baby trees grow is never a bad idea as, in my experience, redbuds are relatively short-lived. Letting a youngster take over when the parent tree dies allows for a natural succession.

But, just because this beautiful tree likely won’t live for generations, doesn’t mean it’s not worth growing. There are few other trees with such a visual impact that, even if they only live for 15 years, they are well worth planting.

Eastern redbuds are very common in the nursery trade

They don’t like to be transplanted, so care should be taken in the planting and subsequent maintenance of this lovely tree. I have had better success growing younger potted specimens than I have had with more mature balled-and-burlapped trees.

Since redbuds are an understory tree, they prefer a partially shaded site and often become stressed in full sun situations.

And just in case the straight species doesn’t strike your fancy, there are also several interesting cultivars on the market.

“Alba” and “Royal White” have white flowers instead of pink, and “Forest Pansy” has burgundy-purple foliage. “Hearts of Gold” boasts pink flowers followed by chartreuse green foliage, “The Rising Sun” has orangey-yellow new foliage, and “Merlot” is a hybrid with increased heat and drought tolerance.

There’s even a short-statured variety called “Ace of Hearts.”