Eastern Redbud

Eastern redbud is the small tree that announces spring by flowering directly from its bark. Before a single leaf unfurls, clusters of tiny pea-shaped flowers erupt along the branches, twigs, and even the trunk in shades of pink, lavender, and magenta that read as a vivid reddish-purple cloud from a distance. Native to the eastern United States from New Jersey to Florida and west to Missouri, redbud grows twenty to thirty feet with a rounded, spreading form and heart-shaped leaves that turn golden yellow in fall. It is one of the earliest flowering trees in the landscape, blooming in March to April in Western Washington, and the effect is arresting.

Redbud's relationship with Western Washington is complicated. It grows here, it flowers here, but it is not entirely at home here. The species evolved in the continental climate of the eastern woodlands, where summer rainfall is consistent and winters are cold and dry. Our wet winters and dry summers are the inverse of what it expects. The result is that redbud in the Puget Sound lowlands performs best in well-drained soil with some protection from the wettest winter conditions. Avoid heavy clay that stays saturated through December and January. Full sun to part shade works, and once established it handles our dry summers adequately. No significant disease or pest concerns are flagged in the regional knowledge base, though canker diseases can affect stressed trees. For the spring flower show alone, redbud earns its place, just give it the drainage it needs.