Crimson plant in the garden and near the house

For any gardener, knowing redbud types and how to grow them is interesting. Learn about the "Rising Sun" and Chinese redbuds. Explore majestic and carob types. Think about how to use this plant in the garden. Consider using it near the house.

The purple redbud is also called cercis. It loses its leaves each year. Some trees grow over 50 feet tall. Other types are shrubs. The trunk has black-brown bark. Cracking bark is normal. New shoots are reddish. Older shoots are olive-brown with a gray tint. Leaves are simple and whole. They are round or egg-shaped. Veins spread from one point. Leaves grow in a spiral pattern. Small, thin stipules fall off quickly.

Redbud flowers are unique. They grow in bunches called racemes. Flowers can even sprout on the tree trunk. This is cauliflory. The flower petals form a butterfly shape. The calyx is like a thick bell. It has short, rounded teeth.

Flowering happens before leaves grow. Redbud fruit are flat beans. Each bean holds 4 to 7 round, flat seeds. The tree is also called "gingerbread tree." This name fits well. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall. Then, a sweet smell fills the air. It smells like pastries.