Growing the Pink Pom Poms Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Pink Pom Poms Redbud is a deciduous shrub that grows quickly into a substantial plant. It will reach 6 feet tall within just a few years, and 12 feet tall and wide in less than 10. It could grow as much as 20 feet tall in time. It has an upright, multi-stem form, with several strong limbs supporting a rounded crown of branches. They are leathery, rounded, and heart-shaped, tapering to a long pointed tip, and 4 inches across, with a smooth, glossy surface. The color is yellow-green when the leaves are new, turning to a rich dark green. In fall the leaves turn golden yellow.

Flowers appear in early spring, typically in April, before the leaves, and this is among the earliest shrubs to flower in the garden. Blooms are carried in clusters of around 10 flowers, growing on the branches, but also along the older limbs, even down to ground level. Flowering is profuse and abundant, making a spectacular display. Normally redbud flowers are like small pea-flowers with 5 petals, but this variety has flowers with around 35 petals packed into a dense ball of beauty. Each cluster becomes a rounded, slightly pendulous bouquet, and the purple-violet color, and the density of blooms, is reminiscent of lilac blossoms. Blooming lasts around 3 weeks, plus the several weeks the buds are colorful before opening. New leaves appear as the last blooms are falling (which they do naturally, leaving the bush clean) and this variety normally produces no seed pods.

Using the Pink Pom Poms Redbud in Your Garden

A drop-dead specimen shrub like this deserves a prominent place in your garden, to enjoy its annual show. Plant it on a large lawn as a specimen, or among other later-blooming shrubs in a border. Place it between evergreens, along the edges of a woodland, beside water or as a screen along a wall, fence or boundary. Since it blooms early, place it where it can be seen through windows during a cool spring. This is a flower display that must be seen to be believed, and even then you won’t believe your eyes.

Hardiness

The Pink Pom Poms Redbud grows well from zone 5 into zone 9. It is much more reliable in areas with hotter, drier summers than almost any other variety of redbud.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

The best blooming of the Pink Pom Poms Redbud happens on plants growing in full sun. This variety is more resistant to full sun than others are, but it can also be grown with some afternoon shade, which is always beneficial. The ideal soil is rich, moist, and well-drained, but again, this is a variety that does well in much drier soils than others, and it will grow in ordinary soils, in full sun. Water regularly during its early years, but well-established plants have good drought resistance.

Maintenance and Pruning

Although it can be grazed on by deer, this plant is otherwise free of pests or diseases, and easy to grow. You can prune as needed, leaving it as a full shrub to the ground, or removing some lower branches as it grows to make it into a multi-stemmed small tree.

History and Origin of the Pink Pom Poms Redbud

The eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is a native tree that grows over a wide area of the country. It is usually found in areas without hot, dry summers, and enjoys moist soil. Towards the edges of its natural range, in Texas and Oklahoma, a unique variety, texensis is found. It is much more resistant to heat and dryness, and more attractive, with leathery, glossy dark-green leaves that turn golden yellow in fall. The cultivated form called ‘Oklahoma’ was found in 1964, and is an especially attractive specimen.

Redbuds with double flowers are rare, and the best is one called ‘Flame’, which was found as a wild plant in Illinois, back in 1902. As often happens with double flowers, seeds are only rarely produced by this tree, so Alex Neubauer, of Hidden Hollow Nursery, in Belvidere, Tennessee, was excited when he saw pods on a tree in his fields in the fall of 2005. He brought them to the redbud expert Dr. Dennis Werner, at North Carolina State University. Dr. Werner grew 278 seedlings from the batch of seeds, and when most of them flowered in 2008 he chose one that had double flowers of good color and attractive glossy leaves. Because of those leaves he was sure that the pollinator must have been a tree of ‘Oklahoma’ growing right beside the tree of ‘Flame’. This new tree was patented in 2017 with the name Pink Pom Poms – a perfect description of a truly unique redbud. It is described by botanists as an ‘intraspecific’ hybrid, because it is a cross between two varieties within the same species – Cercis canadensis var. canadensis and Cercis canadensis var. texensis.

Buying the Pink Pom Poms Redbud at the Tree Center

There is no doubt at all that this new redbud is incredibly outstanding, and destined to become an enduring favorite among gardeners. Be the first one on your block to display its beauty, but order right away – new plants of this quality are always in short supply, and soon sold out.

Growing the Golden Falls® Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Golden Falls® Redbud is a deciduous weeping shrub with a central trunk and many cascading side branches, growing to 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide within the first few years. It can be staked taller, reaching 8 or 10 feet, and 4 feet wide within a decade, or left to cascade and broaden into a lower mound. The bark of the stems is a dark gray-brown, which looks especially attractive in winter. The branches grow naturally downwards, and support is needed until they become thick enough to hold themselves up, leaving the side branches cascading gracefully to the ground. This variety is a breakthrough – the first weeping redbud with golden foliage. The leaves are shaped like broad hearts, 4 inches wide and 3 inches long, tapering to a pointed tip. The new leaves are briefly dusky orange, then they turn bright lemon yellow, maturing to a lime yellow color that lasts well all through the summer months.

This shrub is one of the very first to bloom in spring, at the first sign that winter has passed. It flowers profusely, sending out clusters of blooms everywhere, even directly on the surface of older stems. These open on the bare branches, and although the individual flowers are small, they are abundant, and their bright purple-pink color really stands out, making this plant a wonderful feature in your garden, worth growing just for the blooming. This variety rarely produces the large brown seed pods seen on older varieties of redbud.

Using the Golden Falls® Redbud in Your Garden

The slender weeping form of this plant makes it ideal for smaller gardens, compared to full-sized redbuds which can be 20 feet or more tall and wide. It makes a wonderful feature in any garden beds, contrasting well with colors like dark green or purple-red foliage. Because it can be staked, you get to determine the final height, and you could even remove them immediately and have this as a low plant, cascading over a wall or spilling down a slope.

Hardiness

You can grow the Golden Falls Redbud easily in zones 5 to 8, and in zone 9 in the northeast. It also grows in warmer parts of zone 4 – choose a sheltered spot protected from the coldest winter winds.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will give the best leaf color on your Golden Falls Redbud, and too much shade will make it turn greener more quickly in spring. However, in hotter zones a little afternoon shade will be beneficial, protecting it from leaf scorch, and you should protect it from becoming too dry. This is a shrub that thrives in rich, moist but well-drained soils, both acid and alkaline. Water regularly during the first couple of seasons, and soak mature plants deeply from time to time during the height of summer dryness – although established plants are pretty drought resistant.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases normally leave the Golden Falls Redbud alone, but deer may cause some damage. A little shrub fertilizer in spring is valuable when it is young, but otherwise no particular care is needed. Staking is important, so decide early on the final height you want and drive in a strong, durable stake close beside the trunk – remove any existing stakes. Enough length should show above the ground for the final height you have chosen. Choose a flexible stem sprouting from the top of the existing trunk and bend it upward, attaching it to the stake, tying it in as it grows until you reach the top. Then let it grow naturally. Tie securely but loosely, and check older ties are not cutting into the stem.

History and Origin of the Golden Falls® Redbud

The eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, grows throughout the east from the Great Lakes into northern Florida, and westwards to Texas and Nebraska. In recent years breeders have been releasing many wonderful new forms, and Dr. Dennis Werner is the J.C. Raulston Distinguished Professor of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, is one of the main and best breeders. He and his assistants do this work at the Sandhills Research Station near Pinehurst, and typically do a hand-cross and then collect seeds from the offspring – this allows unusual features to become visible. In 2009 he crossed a weeping, green-leaf variety called ‘Covey’ with a golden-leaf upright variety called ‘Hearts of Gold’. When he grew the seeds produced by the offspring of that cross, he found what he wanted – the first golden-leaf weeping redbud. In 2015 he selected a single plant, and officially named it ‘NC2015-12’. It was patented to benefit the University in 2020, after testing it for garden value and reliability. The Conard-Pyle Nursery Company of Pennsylvania registered the trademark name Golden Falls® and released this great tree to nurseries under their brand, Star® Roses and Plants.

Buying the Golden Falls® Redbud at the Tree Center

The unique Golden Falls® Redbud has attracted lots of attention, and we know it comes from a reliable breeder, and you are really going to love it. It has gained lots of publicity, and the demand is high, so order now while our limited stock is available.

Growing the Flame Thrower® Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Flame Thrower® Redbud is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, growing into a spreading, multi-trunk form that will reach about 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It is fast growing too, adding at least 18 inches a year when young, and so it will soon be a striking feature in your garden. It has a gentle semi-weeping habit, enhanced by the lovely heart-shaped leaves, and a gorgeous winter profile, with intricate branching of considerable charm. The bark is smooth and finely-textured, and very dark in color – a black-brown that adds to its charm.

The leaves are heart-shaped and almost round, about 4 inches long and wide. When the new stems develop they are bright burgundy and glossy, becoming more matt on maturity. Mature leaves are bright golden green, and it is the vibrant transformations that turn burgundy into gold that make this tree so unique and intriguing. They slide through many shades making that change, with smokey pinks, soft buff-pinks and pale tans playing out the progressions.

Well before the leaves develop, while the garden is still sleeping through the final days of winter – that is when this shrub flowers, among the earliest blossoms of any spring bloomer. The small, pea-flower-like blossoms gather in dense clusters along the branches, and sprout in clumps directly from the main limbs, so that the whole bush is in bloom from head to foot. The flowers might be small, but they more than make up for it with the intensity of their coloring. A powerful purplish pink, this is one shrub that shouts across the garden, it doesn’t whisper. It is a wonderful trumpet blast announcing that winter is over, and spring is here again. The large brown seed pods that are often seen in winter on redbuds are usually not produced by this variety.

Using the Flame Thrower® Redbud in Your Garden

The Flame Thrower Redbud is an ideal plant for a focal point or striking specimen. Place it among dark-leaved plants for contrast, or blend it with other plants with golden-yellow leaves. Place it at a strategic position where its beauty can be seen, admired and enjoyed. It is equally at home beside a doorway, out in a garden bed, or edging a wooded area. Allow room for its final height and width when planting, and don’t plant below windows or up against a wall.

Hardiness

The Flame Thrower Redbud is completely hardy and happy from zone 5 to zone 8. It will usually grow well in warmer parts of zone 4, in a warm, sheltered spot, and grow in zone 9 in the northeast, where summers are not very hot or dry.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

We recommend you plant the Flame Thrower Redbud in full sun for the best development of the leaf coloring. Redbuds will grow in partial shade, but the leaves will become greenish more quickly, and lose their golden color. In hot zones a couple of hours of afternoon shade is helpful in protecting from scorching, and don’t allow young plants to become too dry. Once well-established this bush has good drought resistance, but water new plants regularly. The best soil is rich, moist and well-drained, so use plenty of organic material when planting, and mulch across the root zone in spring or fall to feed your plant and conserve moisture.

Maintenance and Pruning

The Flame Thrower Redbud is normally free of pests or diseases, but deer may graze it in winter and early spring. It is best to remove weak branches as the tree develops, so that you establish a good, multi-stem form and encourage the slightly weeping habit of this particular variety.

History and Origin of the Flame Thrower® Redbud

Redbuds are a small group of trees that grow in North America and China. The eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, grows throughout the east from the Great Lakes into northern Florida, and westwards to Texas and Nebraska. Despite its name, it is only found in Canada around Niagara.

Dr. Dennis Werner is the J.C. Raulston Distinguished Professor of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University and a major plant breeder of many of our best garden plants. At the Sandhills Research Station near Pinehurst he and his team breed redbuds, using hand-crossing and isolation to encourage the traits they want to see. In 2010 he took pollen from another redbud with changing foliage, called Rising Sun (‘JN2’) and used it to create seeds with another plant in his collection. The seedlings that grew were isolated in a field, and he collected seed from them. Among the seedlings that grew was one remarkable plant that was selected in 2017 and named ‘NC2016-2’. It was patented in 2019 to benefit the University and given the trademark name of Flame Thrower® by the Conard-Pyle Nursery Company of Pennsylvania and released by their brand, Star® Roses and Plants.

Buying the Flame Thrower® Redbud at the Tree Center

This new redbud is turning heads everywhere it is seen, and it’s sure to become a firm garden favorite. Be first to grow it, and make the Flame Thrower® Redbud a feature in your garden. Hot new varieties like this sell out faster than we can bring them into our stock, so order now.

Growing the Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud is a spreading deciduous small tree or large shrub, usually with a multi-stem form and graceful horizontal branches. The smooth bark is dark brown and the intricate network of smaller branches give this tree an elegant winter profile that is always attractive. This is a relatively fast-growing tree, adding about 18 inches a year when young. Within 10 years it will be at least 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide, maturing to as much as 30 feet tall and wide. The heart-shaped leaves are 3 to 4 inches long, with a pointed tip and a rounded base – a real sweetheart look, for sure.

Leaves develop after flowering. The new leaves are a bold reddish-purple color, beginning an amazing sequence of color changes. Next they develop pink zones around the edges, in irregular form, that gradually become whiter. As the leaves mature they become a bright, light green with broad irregular white margins – inner leaves can be predominately green through summer. While the white and green combination keeps things bright and attractive, the new leaves continue to open that vibrant purple, adding dash and flourish to this great tree for much of the summer.

Redbuds are among the very first trees to bloom, so before winter has clearly ended the first blooms will be opening. This tree blooms prolifically from an early age, along young stems and also directly off older branches – a unique feature of redbuds that makes them special. The blooms are small, but profuse, so a tree in bloom is spectacular, especially since they are carried in clusters on bare branches before any leaves appear. The flowers are like pea flowers from your vegetable garden, but vibrant pink-purple – a color that really ‘pops’ and glows right across the garden. There is no doubt this is one of the highlight shrubs of spring. This tree produces very few of the brown seed pods seen on wild redbuds.

Using the Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud in Your Garden

Grow the Carolina Sweetheart Redbud anywhere in your garden, from planting it in angles of your walls around the house to growing it at the margins of wooded areas. It looks great on a lawn or planted in beds, and beautiful near water, where a reflection will double that beauty. Allow plenty of room for its development, and don’t plant closer than 15 feet to walls, roads and property lines. Allow room between it and other shrubs too, and don’t over-plant your beds.

Hardiness

This plant is hardy in warmer areas of zone 4, in a sheltered location, and completely reliable from zone 5 to zone 8. It will also grow in zone 9 where the summers are not too hot and dry.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Although the Carolina Sweetheart Redbud will grow in partial shade, for the best development and continuation of leaf colors, full sun is best. In the hottest zones a little shade in the afternoon is valuable. It should be planted in rich, moist, well-drained soil, and watered regularly, especially during the early years. Established plants have quite good drought resistance, but occasional deep soaks will always be appreciated, especially when growing in full sun.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases don’t bother the Carolina Sweetheart Redbud, but they can be damaged by deer. You can give your tree a more mature look earlier by removing some of the lower branches as it grows, creating a more open, multi-stem form.

History and Origin of the Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud

Despite its name, the eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is only found in the southernmost part of Ontario. It grows mostly from the Great Lakes south to Florida, spreading west into Texas and Nebraska. We have to thank the collaboration of The North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association and the North Carolina State University for the development of the tree officially known as ‘NCCC1’. It was created by the skilled breeding of Professor Thomas Ranney, a horticulturist at NC State. He took pollen from the variety called ‘Forest Pansy’ and used it on a tree of ‘Silver Cloud’, a green and white variegated variety. The resulting plants were grown together in an isolated group, and then in 2004 seeds were collected from those trees. Among the new seedlings that grew, 19 that all had some form of purple and variegated leaves were selected for study, and in 2009 the best and most colorful was chosen. It was called ‘NCCC1’ and patented in 2017, to benefit the University. The NC Nursery & Landscape Association trademarked the name Carolina Sweetheart® in 2016. This plant was released and distributed by Star® Roses and Plants.

Buying the Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud at the Tree Center

Without doubt, Carolina Sweetheart is the most spectacular plant for foliage effect of all the redbud varieties, and one of the most striking of any foliage plant. It will soon become a feature in your garden, and a special favorite, so order now. We can never keep plants of this quality available for long, so take this opportunity while you can.

Growing the Black Pearl Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Black Pearl Redbud is a large shrub or small tree that grows rapidly, becoming in time up to 20 feet tall and at least that wide. Within 5 years it will be over 6 feet tall and wide, and won’t take long to reach a substantial size. It forms a multi-stemmed bush, with dense foliage and compact branches, rather than the more open form typically seen in redbuds. Young shoots have smooth, semi-glossy bark that is dark purple. Mature bark is very dark black-brown with a slightly rough surface, and the branches form an intricate and attractive silhouette against the background in winter. The leaves are beautiful heart shapes, 5 to 6 inches long and wide. The surface of young leaves is very glossy, turning softly satin as they mature. The upper surface of new leaves is a stunning dark purple – so dark it is almost black. As the leaves mature they turn to a rich and dark reddish purple, while the undersides are a lighter tone. Unique in this variety, that dark coloring holds throughout the summer months, even in hot zones, until in fall they turn a standout bright yellow with greenish to mustard tones, tinted with pale orange – a lovely show and such a contrast to the dark spring and summer colors.

Flowering takes place in early to mid-spring – redbuds are some of the first bushes to bloom in the garden. Flowers open on bare branches, not just on young ones but also sprouting directly from the older branches, in clusters. Blooming is profuse, with many blossoms, making a wonderful and powerful show. Each flower is small and shaped like a pea flower, about 1 inch long, and a vivid reddish purple. The display is spectacular, vibrant, and a real stand-out in any garden. A few brown seed pods may be produced, not usually visible until the fall leaves have dropped.

Using the Black Pearl Redbud in Your Garden

This shrub might look cute when young, but this is not a little accent plant but a small tree that won’t take so long to reach 20 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide. Consider this when planting, and plant at least 12 feet away from a wall or boundary, and from other plants. This is a bush for the back of large shrub beds, as a specimen on a large lawn, or in an open landscape.

Hardiness

The Black Pearl Redbud is incredibly hardy, thriving in all but the coldest parts of the country. Fully hardy in zone 5 it grows just as well in zone 9 – and everywhere in between.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will give you the best foliage color on your Black Pearl Redbud, but you can plant it in partial shade too, with just a few hours of direct sun, and it will still thrive. Despite its exotic beauty this is an easy and adaptable plant, growing in almost all well-drained soils. Acid or alkaline, sand or clay – it isn’t choosy, but don’t plant in wet places or very dry ones. Once established it has excellent drought tolerance, and it is very adaptable.

Maintenance and Pruning

Pests and diseases are very rare on the Black Pearl Redbud, but rabbits and deer can be a problem, especially with young plants, so provide some protection in the early years. This plant is best allowed to develop naturally, just removing weak, dead and overcrowded branches as it develops. You can train it up into a multi-stem tree or leave it to form a spreading bush. It is naturally dense and bushy so it doesn’t need or benefit from frequent trimming – let nature guide it, and consider the final size when choosing a planting spot.

History and Origin of the Black Pearl Redbud

The eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is an American native plant, found growing all the way from the Great Lakes to Florida and inland as far as Nebraska and eastern Texas. It is the best redbud for cooler, damper parts of the country. In hot, dry areas, choose a variety of the western redbud, Cercis occidentalis, hardy to zone 7. The wild plant has green leaves, but several red-leaf forms have been created by plant breeders. For spring color one of the best is ‘Ruby Falls’, created earlier this century by Dennis Werner and Layne Snelling, from Raleigh, North Carolina. Separately, back in 2006, Ray and Cindy Jackson of Jackson Nursery in Belvidere, Tennessee, discovered a chance seedling with yellow leaves they named The Rising Sun (‘JN2’). In 2012 Ray and Cindy crossed these two plants together, and the next year, among the seedlings they grew, one stood out for its very dark foliage, which stayed purple-red throughout summer, unlike ‘Ruby Falls’, which turns more greenish when the summer arrives. They patented it as ‘JN16’ and released it under the Garden Debut® brand with the trademark name of Black Pearl.

Buying the Black Pearl Redbud at the Tree Center

We love the richness of the leaf coloring on this spectacular shrub, and how it lasts all summer, and so will you. So does everyone else, so the demand is enormous, but the supply is limited. Order now or they will all be gone when you come back.

Growing the Bubble Gum Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Bubble Gum Redbud is a deciduous shrub or multi-stem small tree, growing within a few years to 8 feet tall, and maturing at perhaps 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. It can be left to grow naturally as a shrub, or trained up into a multi-stem tree, which is perhaps the best way to grow it. The gray bark is smooth and darkens and roughens a little on older stems. With the elegant way, the branches grow out it has a striking winter form, so it’s a year-round attraction in your garden.

The leaves that develop after flowering are more rounded and heart-shaped than in our native redbuds, with a pointed tip, and up to 5 inches long. They are deep-green and glossy, with a slightly leathery texture, keeping this plant attractive all through the summer months. In fall they turn golden-yellow, often with orange shading, making an attractive display.

This is a very early-flowering shrub, blooming in March in warm zones, and in April elsewhere. It is amazingly prolific in blooming, even when young, with dense clusters of flowers all along the branches and the main stems – redbuds bloom directly off older stems, a unique feature that makes them very floriferous. The small flowers are shaped like those of the pea plant, because they are in the same plant family, and they are bright, clear pink, without the purple overtones that make most redbuds bloom magenta, not true pink. Flowering is sometimes followed by the development of flattened pods like beans, up to 5 inches long, with a hard shell that is dark brown by winter. These are usually not noticed until the leaves fall.

Using the Bubble Gum Redbud in Your Garden

You would find it very hard to plant a more dynamic and exciting spring-blooming tree than the Bubble Gum Redbud. Plant it on a lawn, as a multi-stem small tree, on a slope, or edging wooded areas. Grow it in shrub beds, or plant it in a large pot or planter box, where it could be grown for years.

Hardiness

The Bubble Gum Redbud is best grown in warmer areas, especially zones 7, 8 and 9. It will also grow in warm, sheltered spots in zone 6. For colder areas, choose one of the varieties of the eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

For best growth, plant your Bubble Gum Redbud in full sun, which will help it bloom well. Although it will grow well in moist but well-drained soils, it is also adapted to drier conditions, and thrives where the summers are hot and long, making it great for dry states. It grows well in poor, rocky and gravel soils too, and is very tough. Avoid areas that are constantly damp and wet – this plant won’t enjoy that at all. Water regularly during the first season, or two seasons in very dry spots, but after that it is drought resistant and low-maintenance.

Maintenance and Pruning

Generally free of pests or diseases, and untouched by deer, the Bubble Gum Redbud is easy to care for. Some pruning during its early years will be rewarded by a beautifully formed tree. Don’t leave trimming until the branches are large, or you will have permanent scars on the trunks. Prune as needed after flowering, as the new growth is developing.

History and Origin of the Bubble Gum Redbud

The Chinese redbud, Cercis chinensis, is a different plant to our native eastern or western redbuds, with relatively minor botanical differences, but a big difference when it comes to growing. This tree is found in the wild growing in central and southern China, around the edges of forests, and on hillsides. The Bubble Gum Redbud could be a hybrid, but its exact origins are not clear. It was named by John Allen of Shiloh Nursery, in Harmony, North Carolina and first listed in 2010. However, because of the quirks of the official registration process for plant names, this plant is correctly called ‘Big John’. This was a name given to it by Heritage Seedlings & Liners, in Salem, Oregon, and officially registered in 2017.

Buying the Bubble Gum Redbud at The Tree Center

It is great how subtle differences can make all the difference in success with plants, and if you live in warmer areas choose the Bubble Gum Redbud over varieties of the eastern redbud, if you want the best growth and flowering. As well, the unique coloring of this plant makes it truly special, so order now – this rare variety is in very short supply and we can’t guarantee to have it in stock for very long at all.

Growing the Burgundy Hearts Redbud

Size and Appearance

The Burgundy Hearts Redbud is a medium-sized, multi-stem deciduous tree that will grow to as much as 20 feet tall, in time. It has a broad and low crown, reaching 25 feet across when mature, so allow room for its final growth when choosing a planting place. The bark is smooth and dark brown-gray, becoming ridged with age, and developing areas of dark maroon-brown on the oldest trunks. The lovely curving directions of the smaller branches, and their spreading form, creates a beautiful winter profile. The leaves are between 3 and 5 inches long, with a papery texture, and this variety has a very pronounced heart-shape to the leaf, tapering to a slender point. The leaves are held out and hanging down, like hearts on short strings, creating a very charming look. New leaves in spring are glossy, and a wonderful deep burgundy color on both sides – the effect is simply stunning. As the leaves mature, they turn a rich dark green, but continuing new growth keeps the burgundy leaves, so through summer this tree has a unique burgundy/green two-tone color effect, which really stands out. In fall the leaves turn golden yellow.

Redbud is one of the earliest trees to bloom, and winter has hardly gone before the bare branches burst into bloom. All along the stems will be 2-inch clusters of pointed buds, opening to bright, fuchsia pink flowers that look like miniature sweet-peas, with only a faint fragrance. These smother the tree in beauty, and the remarkable effect will be seen right across the garden, among your still-dormant trees and shrubs. The brown, 3-inch bean-like seed pods typical of redbuds are not abundant in this variety.

Using the Burgundy Hearts Redbud in Your Garden

It is hard to think of where you couldn’t grow this tree, it is so worthy of a place in every garden. Plant it at the back of your shrub beds, as a lawn specimen, near your home, at the edges of wooded areas, or in forest clearings. Plant one on a slope, or beside a stream or pond. Do not plant closer than 12 feet to buildings, fences or property boundaries, to allow it to spread to its full glory.

Hardiness

The Burgundy Hearts Redbud is reliably hardy in zones 5 to 8, and it will also grow, among the shelter of trees, in zone 4. As well it will grow in zone 9 in the northwest, but less well in that zone in the southeast, where we recommend the Avondale Redbud, or for dry and hot areas, the Traveler Weeping Redbud.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will give the best leaf color, but partial shade is also suitable, especially if it means avoiding dry soil. This tree grows best in moist, fairly rich, but well-drained soil, and not so well in dry, sandy soils. It will grow in clay soils that are reasonably drained, and also around black walnut trees, that kill many other plants. Once established it has some drought resistance, but we recommend regular watering for young trees during periods of summer dryness. Deer usually leave it alone.

Maintenance and Pruning

Rich organic mulches during planting, and as a mulch over the root zone, will feed your tree and help preserve moisture. Cover a wide area with mulch, avoiding the trunk itself. Good watering and fertilizing habits, that will keep your tree vigorous, will make pests and diseases insignificant. Remove any dead branches promptly. Pruning is not normally needed, but a little opening up of the center and developing a few major trunks will create a tree of outstanding beauty.

History and Origin of the Burgundy Hearts Redbud

The Burgundy Hearts Redbud is a form of eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis. You might think it grows mostly in Canada, but actually it only grows around Niagara, Ontario, and it is mostly found in America, growing from the Great Lakes to Florida, and west into Texas and Nebraska. This tree will grow well in gardens through all that area. It was discovered in the spring of 2000 by Kerry Swanson and Danny Fountain, of the Greenleaf Nursery Company in Park Hill, Oklahoma. They were working with a batch of 3,000 seedling redbuds and there among them was a single plant with red leaves – a true ‘needle in a haystack’. This tree was patented in 2009 with the name ‘Greswan’, and it is sold under the name of Burgundy Hearts, which was trademarked between 2007 and 2019.

Buying the Burgundy Hearts Redbud at The Tree Center

This tree is one of our favorites, and we love the dangling red hearts and the fabulous pink blossoms. So does everyone else, though, so our stock will soon be gone – order now and avoid disappointment.