One of my top ten trees has to be the Forest Pansy Redbud. The brilliant “scarlet-purple” color on the bare branches are breathtaking to me. I love how they are one of the first trees to bloom and they are a wonderful bridge between cold winter months and springtime. They are listed as needing full sun, but I have had success in part shade too.
They are deciduous, meaning that they drop all of their leaves in the fall. Their growth habit is a tree maturing at just a height of 20 feet tall and about 25 feet wide in the canopy. Their pink flowers are so showy and then their leaves turn into a dark purple for the summer months. Their small stature makes them perfect for a smaller area in the city streetscapes or on a large estate where they can grow freely.
I start getting excited and know spring has arrived when I see the Redbud blooms. The leaves grow into deep, shiny, leathery looking purple colored, heart-shaped leaves. In the fall, the tree puts off the same intensity as the spring. My Forest Pansy’s leaves transforms to bright reds, purples and yellows.
Make sure to give it room to reach mature height. Don’t plant them too deep as they really do well in properly, well draining soils. This is my favorite ornamental, native tree. You can’t go wrong with this one! Enjoy.
