Redbud trees are a timeless favorite, cherished for their graceful form, vibrant blooms, and seasonal interest. These enchanting trees signal the arrival of spring with delicate, pea-like blossoms that emerge along bare branches, painting the landscape with shades of pink, purple, and even creamy white. As the flowers fade, lush heart-shaped leaves emerge, with the green-leaved varieties transitioning through hues of chartreuse, green, gold, and yellow through the growing season, and the red-leaved varieties flaunting shades of purple, red and reddish orange. Whether standing alone as a focal point or enhancing a mixed border, redbuds offer year-round beauty and charm.
Native to North America, redbuds thrive across a wide range of climates, making them a versatile and resilient choice for gardeners. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) remains a classic, with its soft pink blooms and reliable performance. For a richer hue, Oklahoma Redbud boasts deep magenta flowers and glossy green, heat-resistant foliage. If you’re drawn to something more whimsical, Heart’s Desire™ Redbudbrings a refined, compact form with vivid blooms, while the playful Pink Pom Poms Redbud delights with its double flowers, creating a fuller, more dramatic display.
For gardeners in cooler regions, Northern Herald® Redbud offers a cold-hardy solution, bringing the magic of redbuds to northern landscapes. Adding an elegant twist, Vanilla Twist Redbud offers a weeping habit and creamy white blooms, providing a graceful, cascading silhouette that captures attention.
Each variety offers its own personality and charm, making it easy to find the perfect match for your garden. As North American natives, redbuds not only enhance landscapes but also support local ecosystems by providing food and shelter for pollinators and wildlife. In this post, we’ll explore the unique characteristics of these stunning varieties, guiding you to choose the ideal redbud to enrich your outdoor space and celebrate the beauty of nature.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A springtime favorite because of its cheerful show of bright rosy-pink blooms. Reddish purple buds form before the leaves, and bloom on bare branches and twigs. Branches
ascend in youth, then become horizontally spreading, giving mature trees a somewhat flat-topped look. Trees mature at a height of about 25 feet and spread of about 30 feet. Hardy to USDA Zone 5.
Oklahoma Redbud
Cercis texensis ‘Oklahoma’
Oklahoma Redbud dazzles with its deep magenta blooms that emerge in early spring, blanketing its branches in vibrant color before the leaves appear. As the season unfolds, glossy, heart-shaped leaves take center stage, reflecting sunlight with a rich, lustrous sheen. This compact, drought-tolerant variety thrives in warmer climates, making it a perfect choice for smaller landscapes or urban gardens. Its resilient nature and remarkable beauty make the Oklahoma Redbud a standout, offering year-round interest and a touch of southwestern charm to any setting.
Heart’s Desire™ Redbud
Cercis canadensis ‘UMN7101’
Compact and hearty, this introduction from the University of Minnesota built to succeed in colder climates. Rated at USDA Zone 4, it has been thriving at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for more that 40 years. Flowers are a lavender pink explosion in springtime. This small-stature, rounded tree grows to a height of 15 feet and a spread of 20 feet.
Pink Pom Poms Redbud
Cercis canadensis ‘Pink Pom Poms’ PP 27630
Vivid pink, double-petaled flowers crowd the limbs of Pink Pom Poms Redbud. Borne in dense clusters, they present a particularly bright display of bloom along the upright branches of this vigorous and symmetrical tree. Heart-shaped green leaves turn rich yellow in autumn. Dr. Dennis Werner of North Carolina State University developed this unique hybrid of the double-flowered “Flame” Redbud and Oklahoma Redbud.
Northern Herald® Redbud
Cercis canadensis ‘Pink Trim’
Bright pink blooms herald spring in harsh winter climates including Zone 4, thanks to this unusually cold hardy selection discovered in central South Dakota and introduced by North Dakota State University. Pea-like flower clusters that crowd winter-bare branches are followed by heart-shaped, dark green, leathery, heat resistant and wind tolerant leaves that turn bright yellow in autumn. Rounded form at maturity is approximately 20 feet by 20 feet.
Vanilla Twist Redbud
Cercis canadensis ‘Vanilla Twist’ PP 22744
A springtime cascade of pure white blooms flows along its twisting, weeping branches. Heart-shaped leaves soon follow, emerging chartreuse and maturing to light green through the summer months and turning yellow in autumn. A hybrid of Royal White and the ever-popular Lavender Twist® Redbuds, it is observed to have good resistance to drought and cold. Elegant throughout the seasons, its cascading branches etch a unique silhouette on winter skies. Mature height and spread are approximately 8’x 6’. Zone 5.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
