Cercis canadensis — Eastern Redbud | Native Tennessee Understory Tree, Live Plant
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a native Tennessee flowering understory tree grown from wild-type Middle Tennessee stock — one of the most recognizable and celebrated native trees in the Southeast. Its rose-pink to magenta flowers erupt directly along bare branches and even the trunk in early spring, before the heart-shaped leaves emerge, giving the whole tree a striking, almost otherworldly bloom display weeks ahead of most other flowering trees.
That early timing is exactly what makes it so ecologically valuable: Redbud is one of the first significant nectar sources available to native bees emerging from winter dormancy, including bumblebees, mason bees, and the specialized native bee Habropoda laboriosa. It's also the larval host plant for the Henry's Elfin butterfly. Later in the season, its flat, pea-like seed pods feed Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, and various finches and sparrows through fall and winter.
A member of the pea family (Fabaceae), Eastern Redbud grows naturally as an understory tree beneath taller canopy species, making it equally at home along woodland edges, as a specimen tree, or anchoring a native pollinator planting.
Growing conditions:
- Light: Full sun to partial shade (best bloom performance in full sun)
- Water: Medium moisture; moderately drought-tolerant once established
- Soil: Adaptable — loamy, clay, or sandy soils all work with adequate drainage
- Mature size: 20–30 feet tall, 20–35 feet wide
Size: Shipped in a 4" container, young establishing specimen.
Shipping: Orders ship out UPS every Monday.