Description
The Eastern Redbud doesn’t need much introduction. The rose-pink flowers that literally cover the bare branches in early spring before the foliage emerges have made it a very popular small tree for residential or public gardens and landscape naturalization. The heart-shaped leaves, which turn bright yellow in the fall, are also very attractive and make for a nice, rounded canopy.
It is an important species for early pollinators; the flowers are pollinated mainly by long-tongue bees like the carpenter bees.
Other uses: The flowers and (roasted) seeds were reportedly eaten by Indigenous People.
Germination: best with dipping the seeds into hot water first (see – the hot water treatment), this will lead to fissures in the seed coat and allow water absorption. Let the seeds stand in water until next day and then sow and keep at room temp. or outdoors in the spring time. Without this procedure, seeds will germinate anyway but over a longer time period.
This species leafs out very late in the spring (mid-May), do not discard your seedlings in early spring thinking they are dead!
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