Randy's Plant Pick: Eastern Redbud 

My March Plant Pick is Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). The rosy-pink flowers are appearing now across the state and will soon be a breathtaking mass of color. Reddish-purple leaves change to dark green.

Come fall, redbud trees change to a beautiful golden color. The tree canopy forms a spreading, graceful
crown.

It will grow in full sun or light shade. It is used in many landscapes as an understory tree. Grows to 20' to 30' tall and can reach a canopy spread of 30 feet. It will grow in zones 4-9. Redbud flowers range in color from light pink to dark magenta and even white.

I wonder how it got its name since it does not have any red flowers. LOL!

The small clusters of pea-like pink flowers appear in spring on leafless twigs. This is a very easy-to-grow tree. The early blossoms are a great food source for bees and other nectar-seeking insects.

Due to the large amounts of seeds, they produce, redbuds can seed around the garden, but luckily, they're easy to remove if you pull them as young seedlings. The seeds are also a food source for Northern Bobwhite quail and chickadees.

If you are looking for a double (blooms & Leaves) bang for your buck, there are some beautiful varieties available. They have cultivars with purple leaves (Forest Pansy), with light green/golden leaves (Early Sunrise), and with red/orange leaves (Flame Thrower).

You can’t go wrong with having a beautiful redbud planted in your garden!