Cercis canadensisEastern redbud

It usually forms a rounded to open crown, on a short trunk or several main stems, with branches that tend to arrange themselves in almost horizontal layers. In gardens it generally reaches 6 to 9 metres in height and an equal or greater width.

Flowering takes place in early spring, before the leaves. The flowers, small and pea-like, are an intense pink to magenta and cluster along the branches and, sometimes, on the trunk itself, covering the still bare silhouette of the tree. They are an early source of nectar for bees.

The leaves are broad, thin and heart-shaped, with a short, pointed tip, which distinguishes them from those of the European Judas tree, which are rounder and more leathery. They stay green through the summer and turn yellow in autumn. The flattened pods, brown when ripe, may remain on the branches through the winter.

It grows in full sun or partial shade, in deep, moist, well-drained soils, and adapts to different pH values. It withstands cold better than the European Judas tree and prolonged dryness less well: in hot, dry areas it needs regular watering in its first summers. It is used as a single specimen in gardens, courtyards and entrances, at the edge of tree groups or in small groups.

In mature specimens from Diaplant, the already formed crown and the mature wood multiply the flowering points, making it possible to bring in at once a tree with presence and a full flowering that a young plant would take many years to achieve.