Western Redbud

Cercis occidentalis

Description

The western redbud is one of the premier flowering plants of our California flora. It grows into a large deciduous shrub or small tree and can reach 10-20 ft. tall and 10-15 ft. wide. Round green leaves, 2-3 in. wide are heart-shaped at the base. Showy clusters of pea-shaped flowers occur in early spring and range in color from light to deep magenta. Flat 2-3 in. long seedpods mature through spring and summer and persist while the plant is deciduous in winter.

Western redbud is one of the most popular native plants for California gardens. It naturally grows as a multi-branched shrub that can mature after many years into a small canopy tree. It grows well in sun to partial shade and in a variety of soil types, including clay. In hotter parts of the Inland Empire it looks best through the summer with protection from hot afternoon sun or reflected heat. It usually remains perfectly healthy in sunnier and hotter microclimates in the yard, though some leaves may look burnt once the highest temperatures of the summer kick in. If that does not bother you, planting in full sun remains a good option as well.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Winter deciduous
Habit: Open, Multi-trunk, Low-branching
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Magenta
Flower Season: Winter, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Silt, Loam, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Morning sun, Moderate shade, All day sun, Partial sun
Function: Banks, Wildlife value, Attracts butterflies, Specimen, Slopes, Raised planters, Parks and open space, Flowering accent plant
Height: 10 ft. – 15 ft.
Width: 10 ft. – 20 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Prune when dormant in winter as needed. An old western redbud that does not flower much anymore can be reinvigorated through “coppicing” by cutting all the way to the ground in the early spring. The plant will usually (but no guarantees) send up vigorous new shoots and start over with a new lease on life (2). Redbuds are best grown as multi-trunk trees or large shrubs, where older trunks can be removed as needed and younger new trunks are encouraged to grow from the base every five years or so. As older trunks grow thicker they flower less and eventually decline, so creating a cycle where larger trunks are removed as newer ones grow over time will keep plants alive and thriving longer (3). Either inorganic mulch, or organic mulch of 1-2 inch depth under canopy, but held away from trunk and root crown are ideal (D,S). References