Dazzling Redbuds

Spring Planting Guide

Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and peas thrive in spring and tolerate light frost. Plant them now to grow your own fresh produce.

Fragrant daphne is an early-blooming shrub that fills the air with its sweet scent each spring. Plant it in well-drained soil for best results.

Asparagus, when planted now from dormant crowns, will yield delicious, low-cost spears for years to come.

Sweet peas, known for their memorable fragrance, can be planted now from seed or nursery starts to create beautiful bouquets later in the season.

Potatoes prefer the cool weather of spring—plant them as soon as possible for a successful harvest.

Western Redbuds (Cercis occidentalis)

Redbuds are among the most striking sights of spring, especially along Highway 20 in Lake County or the Covelo Road, where their vibrant magenta flowers light up the landscape. These California native shrubs offer year-round interest:

• Spring: Pea-shaped, magenta flowers bloom in profusion on bare branches.
• Summer: Heart-shaped leaves (2–3 inches across) transition from bright copper to blue-green.
• Fall: Leaves turn yellow or red before dropping, revealing clusters of reddish-brown seed pods.
• Winter: Older trees display a picturesque silhouette with reddish-brown bark and multi-trunked forms.

Western redbuds are resistant to oak root fungus and thrive on dry slopes, making them ideal for wild landscapes. They perform well in drier, rockier soils alongside ceanothus, toyon, and manzanita.

• Planting: Choose well-drained soil and provide space for their mature size (8–10 feet tall, 6–8 feet wide). They tolerate full sun, partial shade, or filtered shade.
• Care: Good drainage is essential. Water deeply during the first summer, then reduce frequency as they become drought-tolerant. Avoid fertilizing or pruning, and mulch with bark or pea gravel to retain moisture.
• Patience: Redbuds may take up to three years to flower, but the wait is rewarded with a dazzling spring display.

Eastern Redbuds (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern redbuds are often easier to grow in cultivated settings because they adapt well to summer watering. They grow more treelike, reaching 20 feet with a graceful horizontal branching pattern.

• Leaves: Rich green, heart-shaped, and up to 6 inches wide.
• Flowers: Small rosy-pink blooms clothe bare branches in spring.

The ‘Forest Pansy’ variety features striking maroon foliage. Young leaves emerge vibrant red in spring, deepening to claret in full sun or remaining subdued in shade.

Redbuds have minimal pests or diseases and require little pruning. They look especially striking against a backdrop of dark green conifers, which accentuate their flower color.