AVONDALE CHINESE REDBUD

Cercis chinensis ‘Avondale’

Avondale is probably the first named cultivar of Chinese Redbud to be selected.  It was introduced by the world-famous Duncan & Davies Nursery in New Zealand and is prized for its very dense coat of rose/purple flowers in the spring.  Put some three or five gallon Avondales in full bloom near the front entrance of any garden center and they’ll sell themselves in no time.  Avondale can eventually reach 15’ in height.  Best adapted to USDA zones 6 to 9.

FOREST PANSY REDBUD

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

This redbud is unique with its intensely colored reddish-purple heart-shaped leaves in the spring that become a deep reddish green in the summer.  The flowers (which precede the leaves) have a darker rose-purple color than the straight species, as one would expect from a plant with so much pigmentation.  This highly desirable tree can reach heights exceeding 20’, but most often attains 10 to 15’ with a spreading crown.  Hardiness to USDA zone 6, possibly 5.

HEARTS OF GOLD REDBUD

Cercis canadensis ‘Hearts of Gold’ PP17,740

 This variety hardly needs a description as its big, beautiful golden heart-shaped leaves sell themselves.  But we could point out that the lavender red flowers in the spring are effective as they are plentiful in each cluster and that the growing tips in the spring take on an orange/red tone which makes a nice contrast to the older, chartreuse-colored leaves.  It is also noteworthy that although this plant is predominately yellow in leaf it is not at all lacking in vigor!  One’s imagination can run wild with the landscape possibilities of this great new plant.  Hearts of Gold should reach 20 to 25’ with a roughly equal spread, adapted to USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9.  This plant may behave more like a dieback shrub in colder zones, which of course would not be a fatal problem considering our plants are own-rooted!  Please note, Hearts of Gold will express its gold color much better in full sun, in the shade it will rapidly green out.

TEXAS WHITE REDBUD

Cercis canadensis var. texensis ‘Texas White’

Texas White derives its name from its place of discovery and its flower clusters which are thickly packed with clean white flowers.  This subspecies is better adapted to drier areas that straight C. canadensis and we think that it is a more attractive tree as well, especially out here in the West.  Overall, the habit is more compact than that of your typical C. canadensis and the best part is its high-gloss, dark green leaves with their characteristic wavy margins.  Ultimate height will be around 15’ with a roughly equal spread.  This tree is highly recommended for USDA zones 6 or 7 to 9.

SHIROBANA WHITE FLOWERED CHINESE REDBUD

Cercis chinensis ‘Shirobana’

Like other Chinese redbuds, Alba has pedicels of densely packed flowers, the pedicels themselves being so densely packed on the stems as to obscure sections of the branches when in full bloom.  Of course the major difference is their special pure white color.  Alba therefore makes quite a statement when in full bloom in the spring.  The dimensions of this large shrub (or if you like, small multistemmed tree) are ultimately between 10 and 12’ high by wide.  Adapted from USDA Hardiness zones 6 to 9.

LAVENDER TWIST® WEEPING REDBUD

Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’ PP10,328

This amazing plant was originally found in Westfield, New York.  Lavender Twist™ has purple flowers borne on branches that are both pendulous and weeping.  If left to its own devices, it will trail to the ground and become wider than tall.  However, with proper training and staking, any height could conceivably be attained, from which it could then be allowed to weep gracefully.  Also, because the growth is very dense and twiggy, the leaves begin to overlap with age, giving the effect of shingles on a roof during the summer.  Hardy to USDA zone 5 or 6 to 8.

DON EGOLF CHINESE REDBUD

Cercis chinensis ‘Don Egolf’

This is the first release of a redbud from the US National Arboretum.  It is named in honor of one of the arboretum’s breeders who worked extensively with redbuds and other woody plants.  Don Egolf is somewhat more compact in growth habit (9’ tall by 9.5’ wide in 15 years) than Avondale or seedling Chinese Redbuds.  When in flower it really is a sight to behold, with its bright pink flowers so tightly packed on the stem as to obscure the bark.  The floral display is all the more impressive because you’ll find flowers solid from the branches all the way to the ground.  The plant in full flower actually looks a lot like a piñata done in shrub-form.  We must not fail to mention that this variety is also completely sterile, so there is no need to worry about reseeding or untidy pods hanging-on all winter.  Best adapted in USDA zones 6 to 9.