Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Cercis occidentalis (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

A fine deciduous shrub, the Western Redbud 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.