The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Cercis orbiculata (Western Redbud)

Kingdom	:	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	:	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	:	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	:	Rosidae
Order	:	Fabales
Family	:	Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus	:	Cercis L. – redbud
Species	:	Cercis orbiculata Greene – California redbud

Note: Throughout the years I've written short articles for our website's home pages (home pages are the front page of a website) about these plants. They are now included at the bottom of this page, and are illustrated by botanical drawings and paintings, some of which are from books published from 1500 - 1900.

Formerly known as Cercis occidentalis, the Western Redbud is a fine deciduous shrub that favors dry, sunny areas.

A true native beauty, it graces the landscape from the Pacific coast to Utah, in USDA zones 6-10.

It usually develops multiple stems with an open form, to 8.’ In spring, brilliant magenta flowers like sweet peas burst forth even before the blue-green leaves are open! Absolutely fabulous!

Reddish brown seed pods persist through the winter months.

The flowers, buds, seed pods and seeds are all edible – just picture those glorious blossoms tossed in a salad or strewn across a chocolate cake!

Western Redbud is also symbiotic with nitrogen fixing bacteria, and improves the soil for its neighbours.

Photo below left: Ken Gilliland; below center: Stan Shebs; below right: Ken Gilliland

From Homepage July 16, 2004

Western Redbud (cercis occidentalis) is a little-sung hero of springtime, but a delight to all who know her. The magenta pink blooms cover the branches about the same time the Bleeding Hearts and Calypso Orchids bloom. If you travel highway Interstate 5, there are massive displays of Western Redbud right around the border between Oregon and California.

This northwest native shrub is deciduous, flowering before the leaves are open, making it an excellent candidate for forcing an early bouquet in your home. After the leaves fall in autumn, there are reddish-brown seed pods which persist throughout the winter to the joy of various birds.

Though the bloom is reason enough to plant this fine shrub in your landscape, it has a special quality that makes it even more attractive. It is symbiotic with nitrogen fixing bacteria which improves the soil wherever it's planted. Imagine a shrub that rarely gets taller than 8 feet, blooms prolifically in the spring, has small leaves (no need to rake!), provides nice seed pods in winter for the birds to feast upon, and which fertilizes the soil for it's neighbors. Such a deal!

If you buy Redbud in large garden stores, make sure they are our native Western Redbud, not Eastern Redbud (Cerciscanadensis). Consider planting a small grove in your garden. How about some Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra formosa) as an understory and a few Kinnikinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) as well. Your yard will be pretty in pink!

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