Cercis canadensis L.

Eastern Redbud; Judas Tree

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Eastern Redbud is a native, deciduous, small tree in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Eastern Redbud occurs as an understory tree in rich hardwood forests, along streams, along forest margins, and in areas underlain by limestone. It is a small tree reaching 25-30 feet in height. The bark is smooth and gray-brown on young stems and thin and scaly on older stems. Young stems have a zigzag appearance between the leaves. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, oval-cordate to orbicular-cordate, with entire margins. The upper surface is glabrous and the lower surface is glabrous to slightly pubescent along the major veins. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn before falling. Flowers are produced in fascicules before the leaves emerge in early spring. Individual flowers are papilionaceous in appearance but the standard petal is internal to the wing petal. The flowers are rose to pale pink (rarely white) in color. Eastern Redbud often produces scattered clusters of flowers from older limbs and even from the trunk. This is called cauliflory. The fruit is a thin, papery legume. Eastern Redbud is a conspicuous early spring understory tree, flowering before other species leaf out. It is often cultivated as an ornamental and numerous varieties are available. It prefers a sunny location with mesic soil. It tends to be short-lived, but produces abundant seed and seedlings.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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