Complete Guide To The Eastern Redbud Tree

I love redbud trees. I'm in the Kansas City area, and these dudes grow like weeds here. They're ubiquitous. If you have one redbud tree in your yard, you have hundreds of little volunteers each year. In a fancy pants yard, you better pull them young because the develop a corkscrew taproot. You try to pull it out of the ground and the bastard snaps on you. Now it's to grow back (quickly) with three or four shoots. That's when break out the triclopyr. And they do have a short life by tree standards. After 30 or 40 years they run into issues. But that's not a bad life span. They're cool. Oddly enough I spent my day cutting down and removing several mature, (half dead) redbuds today. Not my typical work. It's weird this video was in my feed.

My redbud has e few lateral branches lower on the tree that appear to be dead. Should I remove them, they had no flowers, this year. The 16-year old tree is well established and growing intertwined with a crabapple which was planted too close. Thank you for all the information. I will be checking out your other videos.

I’m new to your channel I enjoyed videos very informative!.Thanks for sharing.

Funguses? :)

I've noticed leafcutter bees (which I introduced into my property) prefer redbuds for their building material. The leaves of several trees look like someone has taken a hole punch to the edges of hundreds of leaves.

Great video! I ordered 2 online bcuz nowhere near me had any. They didnt look ao great when they arrived. Kinda shriveled leaves probly shocked from shipping. They are about 3 ft tall. Only had them for about a week so far. Hoping they will bounce back with a little tlc. Any tips on helping them to make a comeback?

I've been enjoying my Redbed for 20 years.
I've made jelly every year out of it.

Mike red bugs have grown into a circle and they have out competed the raspberries this year. There are no raspberries at all left in this circle. There’s a very old stump there so I’m not sure how this got started. There’s a very big stump not a redbud tree.

VERY INFORMATIVE!
I HAD ONE 6 years ago in a different garden -No problems.
In a new raised bed-IGOT AN 8 footer Balled & Burlapped(B&B(just found that lingo pre here)ground is moist @ Base, I read it can handle; with the Grass removed it’s wetter,but no rain now=no water around it/Filled with Organic soil/bought it with 2 whole flower buds/A WOOPIE DO, 2More grew!/it sat a few weeks in less sun more shade unt I could move it to the inside fence/now it’s in 6 hours sun. I bought it May 11,2024
It’s now June 28,2024//NOT A SINGLE DANG LEAF IS GROWING!!/I JUST GOUND A SUCKER & took it off/dirt is at its flare & kept a few inches from center/IT WAS 8 feet tall when I got it(it just fits into the Outback(the help Carefully put it in)NO LEAVES
LEAVES 😡=Strength🤨You stated DRY=Tap Root
Moist =not
They don’t like to move-it Dudu WILL NOT GIVE UP
IM WISHING I GOT THE KWANZAN BUT 50feet from the house+THE STREET! Of course AFTER!! I read that! I FOUND THEY COULD BE TRIMMED! Which meant the roots would NOT BE A PROBLEM-THEY AT LEAST HAD FLOWERS! So I got the Eastern RB-which I tracked down what was that light purple tree! For 10yesrs until I got an answer! (Asking people who had plants I liked IN THEIR YARD=I DUH KNOW IT WAS HERE WHEN WE MOVED IN. Now with WiFi it’s less time but getting the CORRECT ANSWER IS THE NEED. You had Good stuff! I SUBSCRIBED

I do gardening for people and often find the seedlings growing in the gardens I'm working on. Have transplanted a bunch

Thanks so much for this video. We planted two saplings a 2 years ago and a young tree last year. The saplings sent out so many long gangly branches with very large leaves that it was pulling the trees down. We had trimmed them in the winter but the new growth was still overwhelming the tree so we trimmed it this summer :( The young tree blossomed the first spring and it was so exciting to see the beautiful blooms....but again it is sending out long arching branches with very large leaves....we have pruned it by eye so it can support itself but again we had to do it in this summer because even after the winter pruning it got to be heavy, down to the ground and bush like. I hope we haven't cause it harm by pruning it this summer. Sorry for the long post....do we just keep winter pruning every year to keep it from becoming a bush? Thanks so much for your time and all the knowledge you share :)

will it grow in Latvia Baltic eu

Excellent video, huge thanks 🎋

Nice description of this tree, thank you.

Why didn't you grind the stump of the Bradford pear before you planted the eastern redbud? I'm going through same thing right now. Just had Bradford pear cut down and want to plant an eastern redbud.

do you know the mature width of these? Some nurseries/online sellers say 10-15 ft, others say 20-35 ft.

Could I grow this in a container for a few years? I only rent, but want to have this tree.

Thanks for your informative video, I learned so much. I am growing a small redbud in a pot that I plan to plant in CT. Great news that they are deer resistant and hardier than I thought. I'm inspired to try my hand at sprouting some seeds.

So you know much about the rising sun redbud? I gathered the seeds last year and they've been in my garage in a baggie. ???

Thank you for sharing

Streamed on the big screen, and came here to like and comment. Just purchased a ‘Rising Sun’ Eastern Redbud cultivar. It’s supposed to get approximately 12x12’ in size, the truck is about 18” before branches appear, and it is grafted at the bottom, just above the roots.

I have a couple of questions if you happen to circle back. First off, do you know why most of the varieties in a nursery are grafted? Also what species is used for the root graft and why? The nursery men weren’t able to answer the first part but opined that the grafting is done to give an advantage to the root system with faster growth and quicker turnaround for nursery growers.

My last question is about pruning. I’m good with the height but I’ld like to keep it at 6-8’ in width and possibly raise the canopy a bit over time. Do you think it’s possible to keep the width to 1/2-1/3 less than the natural growth habit? And what tips, besides the timing you covered, would you suggest? I’m in zone 5b to 6a. Thank you in advance. Great video and I’ll check out your website too.

“Evil Bradford pear” lol, the most over planted tree in the landscape. I’ll even include the newer cultivars. Considered an invasive in my state and others where it is now banned.

❤❤❤😊

thanks for the video. my wife wants a redbud and the space is available next to our driveway, but it will get partial morning sun till bout11-12 and then full sun noon till 5 ish in the summer. is that too much direct sun and should I tell her it wouldn't be so good and look elsewhere, or will that be ok? we live in lancaster pa zone 7a. thanks

Your channel is the best…love the format and focus on native plants. Well done!!

Very good info.

HELLO SIR,I did watch your video very nice and helpfull.I have a redbud tree in the of my house, in wich I moved in last year and is 7 years old and the redbud is loosing the bark on the main trunk. Is that a bad sign that the tree has a problem?Thanks very much SIR MY NAME IS GENNARO AND I LEAVE IN ELGIN ILLINOIS ,WEST OF CHICAGO.HAVE A GREAT DAY

I have a newly planted red bud with a trunk diameter of 2-3 in. Ht~ 7'. The tag said deer resistant so it will be safe from them eating its bark this winter, correct?

Fantastic video 😊 I just purchased my first redbud :))) cercis canadensis merlot ♡ Im so excited. Thank you for the great advice

Just thought I’d add I did this exact method but only left seed in boiling water 1 minute and cold stratified for less than 1 week in the fridge. Had almost perfect germination.

This was very thorough and well ordered with clearly separated subtopics. Thank you.

Someone sells the seeds at my place on a tropical island. The question is whether redbud can grow in a tropical climate

I do live in South Ohio and planted a total of four easter redbuds, this video helped me alot on how to maintain and taking care of. Thank you so much.

They grow good here in north east Ohio.

I found mine under the mother tree they sprout on their own.

I planted several bare root in 2024. I probably have to wait a few years for any flowers, but maybe you will cover that in this video. I just started watching.

Can anyone tell me what is eating my Red bud merlot red leaves.I placed thorns around the merlot but it seems something is eating the leaves.The plant is around 1.5 feet tall.Whatever is eating my red bud merlot leaves is eating the full red leaves but does not eat green leaves.I suspected squirrels but i dont think they will go through the thorns.I now suspect garden lizard as i have spotted them running away from it.What should i do?I just ordered a bird net which no space for them to go through.What else can i do?

I moved to a property where a Redbud and Elm tree have grown together and I am having a severe hard time trying to separate them, both by identification and intertwined branching. I'm trying to get rid of the Elm and keep the beautiful Redbud. I'm hoping after watching this video, I will have more luck than I have in over 2 mos.

I bought an eastern redbud and planted it out front in memory of my pitbull. I just got it late last yr and it's already starting to bud. It's so beautiful. I appreciate this video. Thank you

I bought one last spring at Walmart and I hope it grows good. It’s a single trunk. I heard they do best in multi trunk. 😊 great video. I’m saving it. 😊

I live near Columbus WI, 'Redbud City.' There's a festival in May when they're all blooming. Pretty cool!

I love the Eastern Redbud! It is hands down my favorite tree. I have grown a few from seed and are growing them as bonsai. I'm excited to eventual get some flowers! Thank you for creating this in depth video.

Are the growing conditions different if I’m planning to turn my redbud into a bonsai?

Great Video!!!

Are they edible? There are people on facebook sharing red bud jelly recipes.

Excellent information

The buds and pods are edible too. I love them pickled with hops shoots.

Awesome detailed video! Loved all the footage of how people have used redbuds in their landscaping around your area. Just planted 20 one year old bare-root redbuds around my property I got from Virginia department of forestry and am excited to implement what I’ve learned from this video when it comes time for them to be pruned. Thank you!

I loved your informative video. Thanks. I garden in Raleigh, zone 7b/8. Had a very mature redbud die about 8 years ago and got many self seeding trees as a result. I want to keep them all, and did, to see which grew the strongest. I asked my husband to cut several down yesterday to help make room for the best situated trees to have best growing conditions. I searched for help because I'd like to try to transplant and relocate some smaller seedlings, and i appreciated the video you showed of your transplant, to see the spread of the root structure. i took notes and also liked the suggestions on how to scarify and cold store, then pot up your seeds. We had some extended cold and snow a few years ago, which probably helped all these seedlings to take root. I was looking for information on how close these redbuds can be to each other, especially when they self seed. Can you answer that? Ideally, 20 feet, i imagine, but can they grow well in a cluster together? 😊