Cercis canadensis
eastern redbud
Often favored over our California native redbud for its faster growth, tendency to take tree form rather than be shrubby, and for the array of cultivars available. Old seed pods tend to fall off earlier too. Spectacular rosy pink flowers in March precede the emergence of the heart-shaped leaves, whose pointed tips immediately distinguish it from western redbud, which has rounded or notched tips.
Substantial specimens are in the northeast corner of Lantana. A handsome row of younger trees lines Capistrano Way. In Palo Alto, a specimen at 1031 Hamilton Avenue is actually around the corner on Chaucer Street.
Cultivar ‘Forest Pansy’ has distinctive reddish purple leaves, but puts on more of a muted show when in flower. Several were planted in the Knight Management Center when it opened, in 2011, in the walkway between the MBA Class of 1998 building and the Patterson building. This cultivar also grew in the original landscaping of the Serra Street Complex at that location. Several ‘Forest Pansy’ are amassed along the northeast side of Building B at Escondido Village Graduate Residences.
See rosy-magenta-flowered C. canadensis var. texensis ‘Oklahoma’ strewn around the Torrey pines on the east edge of Schwab Residential Center, opposite Manzanita Field; two are in the courtyard of Central Energy Facility. Almost three dozen white-flowered C. canadensis var. texensis ‘Texas White’ are scattered along the east side of Roth Way Garage and the north face of Anderson Collection. A pair of C. canadensis ‘Alba’, another white-flowered redbud, is between the Bookstore and Post Office, among the Modesto ashes.
Name derivation: Cercis – ancient Greek kerkis for C. siliquastrum, meaning a weaver’s shuttle, a reference to the shape of the pod; canadensis – Canadian, but also sometimes used to cover the northeastern US.
About this Entry: Authored Apr 2025 by Sairus Patel.
