Cercis
Description: The Redbud is a small tree that can reach heights of up to 35 feet. It may feature a single or multi-trunked structure with widely spreading branches, demonstrating shade tolerance that makes it suitable for various environments.
Twig/Bark: The bark is reddish-brown and smooth in its youth, developing a fissured texture with squarish plates and peeling characteristics as it ages. The twigs are slender and zigzag, exhibiting colors that range from reddish-brown to gray.
Leaves: The leaves are widely rounded-ovate in shape, with thin blades that present a dull to shiny green upper surface and a paler lower surface, adding visual interest throughout the growing season.
Flower/Fruit: In spring, the Redbud produces striking flowers before the leaves emerge. These flowers have five petals and range in color from pink to light purple. By late summer into fall, the tree produces oblong legumes with tapered ends; these are flattened, leathery, and reddish-brown.
Habitat: The Redbud thrives in a variety of habitats, including dry to mesic upland forests and woodlands, riparian forests, bluffs, glade margins, pastures, old fields, and roadsides.