Spring in many ways is just like listening to your favorite song. The parts of the song that make it special to you are those that make you replay it countless times over and over again. The chorus of springtime is very much the same. Old favorites pop up again and again for us to enjoy. One of my favorite trees here in Tennessee is the redbud (Cercis canadensis). It’s native to our area and blooms prolifically in the spring. There are areas of our state where the redbuds grow in such quantities that you feel like you are inside of a painting. Nature’s artwork is hard to top!
It’s a special tree to others as well. Pollinators love the spring time blooms. Once they are in bloom it is hard to go near them without hearing a constant buzz from the bees as they gather pollen.
Saving Redbud Tree Seeds
Redbuds are actually a legume and produce seeds in pods each fall. Those seeds are the best way to propagate new redbud trees as it not only insures genetic diversity but (in this garden blogger’s opinion) really is the easiest method! When the seeds are removed from the pod they will need cold stratification for a couple months. You may also need to nick the seed coat to allow water to penetrate inside. That will speed up germination significantly.
One other seed starting tip: soak the seeds before planting about 24 hours.
Many redbuds are grafted onto a seed grown root stock. This is the best way to reproduce special varieties that cannot be reproduced from seed.
Redbuds are an understory tree, and while in some cases they can take a good deal of sun, they prefer partial sun. Morning sun and afternoon shade is perfect! Some redbud varieties, like ‘Forest Pansy’, have colored foliage that will eventually fade back to green in the heat of the spring. Because of their smaller size they are a great choice for small backyards and usually top out at around 20-30 feet. Redbuds can be grown in hardiness zones 5-8.
Do you grow redbuds in your garden?
The Calendar Doesn’t Say So But…
…spring is here! Spring is happening all over the place. The trees are blooming, the bulbs are coming up all over, and of course the weeds are growing too! Daffodils and hyacinths are in full bloom and other flowers are well on their way to…
Greenworks G-Max 20 Inch Twin Force Lawn Mower
Mowing season is in full swing here in Tennessee! It’s that time of year when lawn and garden enthusiasts venture back into their grassy backyards to begin the weekly ritual of giving the lawn a perfect trim. There are lots of options to consider when…
A Spring Fence Garden Update
Last year for Mother’s Day I redesigned a garden area for my mom. Their fence garden needed a little revamping and I’m really happy with the results. Here is what the area looked like before: Here’s how it looks now! In the above picture we…
Propagating ‘Shasta’ Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum) from Cuttings
I have many favorite plants (as all gardeners can attest to) but I am really a big fan of viburnums. Many viburnums have showy flowers in the spring, leafy green foliage throughout the growing season, and great fall color. Some are evergreen, many provide food…
Tennessee Garden Bloggers are Growing!
What else would you expect with garden blogs but to be growing? Two newcomers are on the scene for Tennessee growing the total to five (that I know about). Gail at Clay and Limestone and Craig at Harvistry. Both blogs appear to have unique content…
After the Plant Swap
If you weren’t there, you should have been! The rains didn’t keep the die hard swappers away and in fact the rains themselves dissipated soon after the swap began giving way to a pleasant overcast morning. Later in the morning it changed to sunny skies…
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