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How to Grow the Eastern Redbud Tree©

By: Arlene Wright Correll

There are lots of reasons to plant and grow Redbud trees, but for me they are a living memorial to our late son, Fred, who loved to see the Redbud trees each spring.

Redbud trees are the Oklahoma state tree and when we had our Bed & Breakfast in Tennessee our woods came alive with them each spring. Now that we live in Kentucky we are blessed with many of them.

Redbud trees herald the onset of spring here in zone 6 as they start to show just a hint of color at the end of March and by mid April they are ablaze with color all over the landscape.

As an artist I am quick to spy these leafless trees with their magenta blossoms as they burst onto the scene and they are quickly followed by their bright green, heart shaped leaves which will turn dark blue green.

One can get a fairly good size Redbud tree in gallon buckets for under $15.00 from most garden centers and I like buying them that way since Redbud trees are not easy to transplant because Redbuds form a taproot They grow quickly and by year 6 or 7 you will have a wonderful tree if you select a small potted Redbud and a spring dormant planting.

Redbud trees are basically a small tree that grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and they will grow about 25 feet wide so you need to make allowances for that when you plant one.

One can find the Eastern Redbud from New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania and they will range northwest to southern Michigan. As you go southwest you will find them in the south eastern part of Nebraska and moving south to central Texas. You can find them ranging east to central Florida. Some Redbud trees even range from them Trans-Pecos and south Texas into Mexico. So Basically Redbuds can survive as far north as Zone 5.

I often wonder who named these early flowering beauties "Redbud" since upon inspection I have found the blossoms neither to be buds or red!

I also find that Redbuds when planted correctly according to the simple directions that are usually attached to every nursery center tree will survive even the most inept gardeners planting and the Redbud will enhance just about every landscaping plan imaginable. These trees are great for a small yard and you will enjoy their burst of color in the spring, their shade in the summer and they even bring forth enjoyable color in the fall as their leaves turn golden. They look great planted on the edge of woods or anywhere there is a dark background. Have you ever noticed them along the highways bursting into color each spring against the background of dark cedars?

Once the Redbud blooms its flowers will turn into 4-5 inch pods and each pod will contain 4 to 10 bean-like seeds. Redbud trees can be started from seed. However you have to plant the seed in the fall where you want them to grow or in pots outside since Redbud trees need a little winter cold to help them along. Expect the growth establishment to be a little slower than other trees and you will have to take extra care to get your Redbud off to a good start when you start them from seed. At this stage of the game, 73 years old is just a tad too long in the tooth for me to fool with anything than a small tree from my favorite garden center. Especially a garden center that guarantees growth for 12 months, so remember to save your tag and receipt just incase you manage to kill it off by incorrectly planting it.

The biggest killer of Redbuds and other small trees at planting is that most people do not make the holes big enough and then take the time to make sure there are no air pockets in said hole when they start packing the dirt back down.

It is also a good idea to stake your Redbud with 3 ropes or wires in the event you live in a really windy area or plant your Redbud in a windy area or you will have a slanted Redbud tree very quickly. I also like to put a tube around my young Redbud’s trunk to keep it from our hungry critters for the first 2 or 3 years until well established.

If your Redbud starts sprouting multi-branches on the lower trunk, just trim them as you see them and you will maintain a nice strong trunk that is a tree instead of a bush!

This is a good tree of color to start with and is basically a hardy variety of the Redbud tree and you will be glad you planted at least one in your yard.

Author Resource:-> For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, "All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site."

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