Redbuds are a beautiful, visually delightful tree

Q. I’m looking for a new tree to plant, replacing one I just removed, in a small planting area in my front yard. This time of year I see trees around town that have pink blossoms, some bright pink, and some that wear purple blossoms. Based on my research I believe the trees with the pink blossoms are a variety of redbud. I’ve found three varieties of redbuds: Oklahoma, Texas and Mexican. The Oklahoma grows the largest (up to 30 feet) and the Mexican (about 10 feet) would be the shortest. Can you tell

me which variety has the purple blossoms? The ones I’m admiring seem to be smaller, which I think would be a better fit in the area I want to plant. That’s what I’m searching for, a tree that will top out at about 10-to-12-foot tall at maturity and doesn’t have roots that spread significantly. — G.A., Albuquerque A.

Since you are searching for a redbud wearing a certain color bloom, I suggest strongly that you get yourself to the nurseries and find that color. But do it soon since their blooming window will shut soon.

Redbuds are my absolute favorite spring blooming tree. So lately I’ve been in redbudblooming heaven because they are showing off everywhere just now.

You can see them wearing pale-lilac, pink, rosy-pink, darker red pink and then, if you’re lucky, some that are vibrant magenta purple-pink color. Oh so many visual delights!

As to variety, I think you’ll be looking for Cercis canadensis, the redbud family that is chockfull of subfamilies including the Texas and Mexican redbuds. I believe your research is correct that the Mexican will be shorter by nature.

Know that they take to pruning and shaping well, so they are easily kept to a certain area.

There is another branch of the family (no pun intended), the Cercis chinensis or Chinese redbud. If you can find it, it tends to grow more like a multitrunked shrub, but is trainable into a smallish tree that can get to 10 foot. The few I’ve seen are just lovely. These plants tend to wear delicious rosy, deep purple-colored blooms.

Another in the family, Cercis occidentalis or Western redbud, is known for the magenta purple-pink bloom that is a visual show stopper.

Those three varieties are zoned to grow here so that’s good news for you. Any redbud will grow in full sun and can take semi-shade but they won’t do well at all in dark shade, like under a thick canopy of sundiluting trees. They like the light.

Also, you will want to offer consistent water. Although not water pigs, I won’t consider a redbud completely xeric either.

There are so many reasons to admire redbuds. First, the bloom. Get up close and personal with one, and you see blooms that look like wee sweet pea flowers exploding from the stems, twigs and branches. They don’t cluster at branch ends like so many other bloomers, no, they are a flower riot.

Then, the leaves. You get these sweet heart-shaped leaves that look so tender. Some can be colored deep purple, others offer a nifty grey-green-purple cast to themselves. The leaves offer color change in the autumn too. Variety dependent, you can see a nifty golden-grey green, while others turn an orange-tinged purple color. The redbud offers visuals in the winter too. First you get to see the hanging seed pods that look like translucent pea pods, which isn’t hard to imagine especially considering the redbud is in the pea family. Then, admire the bark of a redbud. It is the prettiest coolgrey, barely speckled, near sandpaper looking bark you’ll ever see.

Oh, how I admire these trees! I haven’t been much help defining which tree you’re seeking, but I believe that you could get a redbud to fit the space you’re planning on offering, so go for it. Get thee to a nursery soon and find that perfect bloomer to grace your space.

Have fun Diggin’ In.