Complete Guide To The Eastern Redbud Tree

This is a complete and exhaustive profile on the Eastern Redbud Tree, Cercis canadensis. I will cover all aspects you need to in order to successfully grow this tree yourself. A digital table of contents is below:
01:41 - Description and facts
02:58 - Pros and cons of Redbud trees
04:25 - Growth rate of Redbud tree
05:43 - Wildlife benefits of Redbuds
08:41 - How to identify a Redbud
11:47 - Growing conditions
13:14 - How to grow and care for
14:33 - Pruning a Redbud
15:31 - How to save seed
16:01 - Grow from seed
18:35 - Review
I want to add that although I mentioned it several times in the video - well draining soil is key for this tree. It does NOT tolerate flooding. So, please, make note of this information. Apparently when flooded, after 24 hours the tree starts to produce ethanol which will attract a wood boring beetle, which as you can guess, will not only directly harm the tree but also allow a new pathway for disease/fungus to enter - stopab.org/
To test soil texture:
• Testing Soil Texture -...
To test soil drainage:
• How to Test Soil Drainage
A very useful reference on pruning trees from the USDA forest service is below. Read this before you prune your trees, as it shows exactly how to make proper cuts as well as other considerations.
extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands...
Credit for the Mexican Redbud photo:
www.flickr.com/photos/wdherro...

[@whogavehimafork]

I know you're only one person but man do I wish you could do a video and article on EVERYTHING. You do such an excellent job with every single video and article. You are so detailed, thorough, empirical and scientific while being completely digestible. You are my go-to for information on plants. Your methods and communication style are very scientific, in fact you seem like someone who's an engineer of some sort by day and is also obsessed with plants.

[@growitbuildit]

Wow - thank you! I appreciate that. Also - your suspicions about me are correct

[@whogavehimafork]

@@growitbuildit I can smell an engineer from a mile away

[@growitbuildit]

@@whogavehimafork Lol

[@MAC-op5fc]

Great video. My Redbuds barely bloomed this year. I hope that doesn't mean they are sick. They are fully leaved out so possibly our late freeze killed the buds. I have to thank you because the bird song that played when your logo was on at the beginning is one I've been trying to ID for so long. I was able to record it and get the ID - White-throated Sparrow. So, bonus for me!

[@l800x8]

The redbuds in the woods around the house bloomed fine here. Zone 6a, MO.

[@kathiesimpson571]

That white throated sparrow! Thank you for the id on it. Such lovely birdsong ❤️

[@growitbuildit]

Glad I could help you out with the sparrow. Regarding your Redbud, if they have bloomed well in the past, but not recently, you may just want to take a good look for any discolored leaves or dead branches.

[@MAC-op5fc]

@@kathiesimpson571 I know, it's such a sign of spring. They sing a beautiful song!

[@MAC-op5fc]

@@growitbuildit I will do that. Thank you!

[@KimblesTheBrave]

I collected seeds and planted a few of these in a partly-shady spot in my backyard a couple years ago using your old tutorials. They're still only about 1 foot tall going into their 3rd year, so it's clearly not "ideal growing conditions", but hey at least they're still alive. 😁I've been looking forward to seeing a full updated video on them and this is great!

[@growitbuildit]

Wow - that seems short. Do they get much sun? But glad to hear you got germination and they are still alive.

[@Vezmerize]

I just grabbed a ton of seeds from work last week and was going to try growing them!!! Awesome.

[@growitbuildit]

Give it a shot - just know that when the seeds dry in the open air for so long they can lose viability. But, you should know by June/July if they will go or not.

[@conniegriner1847]

In January 2021 I winter sowed some redbud seeds following your method. From that batch I had six trees that made it to potting stage, and were planted out in the fall. Two have survived to the present, and one is now six feet tall and had a few tiny flowers this spring. I was elated to see them! Thank you so much for continuing to make your super-informative videos on native plants. Lots of things in my garden owe their starts to Growit/Buildit videos!

[@growitbuildit]

That is excellent Connie! Great work and congrats! And thank you so much for the kind words!

[@MI-Figs313]

It takes a lot to put this together, thank you for sharing

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! You are correct - this one took a lot of work.

[@pamelacorsi]

My favorite tree! I finally added one to my yard a couple of years ago. Now I know so much more about it!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - be on the look out for caterpillars!

[@cleightcleight3623]

That definitely is a beautiful tree

[@growitbuildit]

They are absolutely stunning.

[@bredear]

Awesome video, I have two Texas Redbud trees, already 15 years old. Love them, they are beautiful trees, perfect size and wildlife love them. Thanks.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! These are one of the best trees to have

[@alice_rabbit8345]

I’ve been wanting to add one to my landscape. Thanks for the tips!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - good luck!

[@SandraSnowdenElam]

I always look forward to your very well organized, comprehensive plant profiles. I have grown Forest Pansy redbud, which has maroon heart-shaped leaves. It is gorgeous, but it definitely does not like full sun in Virginia. Morning sun or dappled sun is best for this variety.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you for sharing that Sandra - I have seen references stating that it can go in full sun, while some others say it doesn't do quite as well. But it's always better to hear directly from someone who grew it.

[@halukvurgec9250]

İstanbuldan merhaba.Bilgi içerikli videolarınız için teşekkür ederim.Videolarınıza türkçe alt yazı eklermisiniz.

[@NotGoddess]

I cried a little when you drove down that street flanked in what looks like callery pear. :(

[@growitbuildit]

That particular neighborhood had it written into the HOA rules, at least initially. The good news is that it is now illegal to sell that tree in PA. So at least the problem is recognized.

[@NotGoddess]

@@growitbuildit That's good news! Small progress is still progress.

[@francestaylor9156]

ME TOO! Mine was a twinge of absolute disgust lol

[@sannaericditsler4034]

Thanks for the video. I love redbuds. I have one. Every time we move i plant one.

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I like to think I've helped spread them within my area by giving them to friends, etc.

[@darrenwalker905]

Thanks a million!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - glad you enjoyed it

[@MariMari-vq8hl]

The most interesting that I found in this video that made my ears perk up were the fact that it has a white mutated version; I’ll be on the hunt for one as I’m the neighbor who likes different types of cultivars not commonly seen around the area 😊 Thanks! Helpful info. I received some redwoods from Arbor Day so wanted to listen in on some info before I planted them!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome - just about all the white ones that are sold are cultivated to root stock now. But, they are out there and available.

[@JennifersHomeJournal]

Such a great piece! Thanks! I love early spring in the southeast where I live when the only color is Eastern Redbuds. I did some research on the history of the Weeping Redbud on my channel and blog. Not nearly as in-depth as this, but perhaps worth a look. The weeping variety grows much more slowly and they require staking to encourage them up. I have had mine for 7 years but have never ween pods on it. Again, thanks for a great post!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! I'm very happy you enjoyed it. Perhaps you haven't had any pods because it could be a sterile cultivar?

[@aaronjohnson9221]

Yess! I've had a hard time growing this

[@growitbuildit]

Hopefully I have made it seem a bit easier!

[@nathanhaskell1743]

Very through! I feel like your production quality is stepped up a knot h in this video I really like it! Gonna give this a try for sure!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Nathan! I wanted to present this tree in the best possible way.

[@katiekane5247]

Every year, I hope mine will bloom. It was a yearling when placed 3 years ago. We did a major pruning on some overgrown Burfordi Holly a few months ago, opened up the space some. It's one of the trees that I fell in love with when I moved south. I've been fighting invasive Wisteria and ivy from the property next door for 3 years now. Found a colony of Galax this morning! Love my natives!

[@growitbuildit]

Don't give up on it Katie! And keep up the good fight. My main enemies are JSG, Bush honeysuckle, Multi-floral rose, and mile-a-minute vine.

[@c.j.taylor7325]

Great video! I planted a couple of these 2 years ago and am hoping for flowers in the next couple years

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - and good luck! It's a great feeling when they flower for the first time.

[@kalayne6713]

I had to leave my beloved redbud when my rental was terminated as the owners decided I was too old at 70, to rent their old dairy after 14 years of country living. My redbud tree was my sign of spring in Australia, where we have only one deciduous native tree. The ignorant, entitled owners have probably cut it down now, while it has become too expensive for me to buy another. Those 14 years were a joy every spring because of my flowering redbud.

[@growitbuildit]

I'm sorry to hear that Kala. I think redbuds are probably the most beautiful of all flowering trees. The clusters growing directly on the trunk and branches are just gorgeous.

[@threeriversforge1997]

Excellent tutorial. I've been thinking about planting a Redbud or three to take the place of some crepe myrtle that I have. I really don't like the crepe myrtles, so some Redbuds would be really nice.

[@growitbuildit]

They grow faster than you think, and they start looking great sooner than many other species. Unfortunately we always have to go back to that old saying - "When is the best time to plant a tree? 10 years ago"

[@leonblack751]

Whats the best location in the backyard to plant a redbud.

[@growitbuildit]

@leonblack571 anywhere that gets sun and has well draining soil

[@inalopez21]

My redbud sheds its seed pods and within days I have hundreds of baby redbuds growing everywhere under it which I have to pull out like weeds even through the landscaping rock. I have planted different varieties of ground cover plant and I hope this helps create a barrier. I do love my beautiful redbud, but just one will do for my back yard.

[@growitbuildit]

I've only had one year with full blooming. But I did not collect pods from it (seed you saw in video came from a wild tree somewhere else). I haven't had any self-seeding yet. But I take your point.

[@bartcalder2791]

Thanks! Being a Legume, is it nitrogen fixing?

[@growitbuildit]

Yes - it fixes nitrogen. I forgot to mention that, but the video was already quite long.

[@garystew2077]

Great video! Thank you for putting so much detail into this. I received an Eastern Redbud from my grandmother so it is very special to me. I planted it in 2021when it was just under 2 feet tall. Now in 2024 it is about 5 feet tall so I'm not quite hitting that 2 feet per year of growth. I also notice that it sends out a lot of suckers and I do my best to prune those off whenever I see them. Are the suckers indicative of an issue or are they normal for Redbuds?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - great that you are getting it to grow pretty well even if it isn't 2' per year. Regarding suckers, I have never seen those on any redbud. I have about 7 (one in front, 6 in the back). Was it purchased from a nursery?

[@garystew2077]

I'll have to ask my grandmother, but I don't think it was. She had it in a container for a while before giving it to me so I'm wondering if maybe the roots suffered from that a bit.@@growitbuildit

[@jodie-8225]

Great video! Thank you! Had a quick question...planted a redbud last year (it was fully blooming). This spring 1/2 the tree blooming and 1/2 no buds/flowers (a few baby ones towards the trunk. I live in Zone 5. Is this because it's only been planted a year and I am in a cold climate? Could half be dead? The branches still seem flexible and alive overall...TIA!

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - when you say half blooming, do you mean that you only had buds on the main trunk, and that most branches were bare? If so, that doesn't seem too strange. My own tree from the footage from this year has many branches extending above the flowers that are bare. I suspect that your suspicions are correct, and that because it was only in the ground one year. If all branches leaf out correctly and seem normal, then I wouldn't worry. It will probably bloom fully next year, or more fully.

[@nathanhaskell1743]

What is your take on soil blocking? I have other questions bellow but, I was looking into it and I was really wishing @GrowitBuildit had a comparison video. I can’t tell if it’s quantifiably better or just a trend. Even if you don’t make a video I would love to hear your thoughts. Other questions: Have you ever tried it? Does it work for cold stratifying? Is it easier? Are the improvements for trans planting that much better?

[@growitbuildit]

I have never tried soil blocking....but I did just get one recently from an old gardener who is downsizing. Perhaps I will try to get started this year. I still haven't even played with it yet.

[@coryfurlong5918]

I just planted the straight species in my front yard. Interestingly there a few specimens in my neighborhood which seem to be leaving out with dark red colored leaves rather than pale green. Could those be cultivars?

[@SandraSnowdenElam]

Yes, Forest Pansy has maroon leaves.

[@growitbuildit]

Exactly what Sandra said

[@maureenburke-gaffney3079]

We have had a Cercis canadensis Forest Pansy in our garden for about 20 years. It is very beautiful but disappointingly has never bloomed. Every spring it get lots of buds which fall off without ever opening. Any idea why?

[@SandraSnowdenElam]

I grew a Forest Pansy redbud that bloomed fine in Virginia zone 7a, but then got very stressed in the hot summer sun. Maybe that variety is more suspectible to temperature (late frosts) than the wild species?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Maureen - I didn't talk much about cultivars in this video as they can be a little tricky, plus I have almost no experience with redbud cultivars. Furthermore you don't always know if they are exact clones, etc. But not getting flowers for 20 years is a very strange behavior. And the fact that the buds formed, but didn't open makes me think that perhaps there was a strange interaction between the rootstock and the forest pansy.

[@hammer86_]

I have 3 young redbuds in containers. I'm not sure where I want to put them. Do you think they'll be ok in the containers until they're old enough to bloom?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - I really can't give you a good answer, as I have never tried. And I haven't seen one bloom that was in a container. So I guess I would think that it would not. But, it should be able to survive a long time, as long as the container doesn't freeze for prolonged periods.

[@francestaylor9156]

The twinge of disgust at the bradford pear tree shot lol

[@growitbuildit]

100% agree. At least they are illegal now in PA. I could have shown shots with hundreds in abandoned fields.

[@donnamatthews9653]

Do you have info on growing the tree from seeds? I’ve tried so many methods but have had no success. 😢

[@donnamatthews9653]

Just saw your method! Thank You!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Donna!