WHAT'S THAT TREE CALLED ?

Blooming All Over Chicagoland and In Zone 5 Gardens

The colorful purple leaves of the 'Forest Pansy' Redbud are beautiful all season.

"I want one of those trees, you know the ones you see blooming along the Lake, lavender-pink ?" is a frequent question I get . Cercis Canadensis . Redbud. That's what you want.

The redbud is a wonderful small ornamental tree reaching 15 x 15 feet in most gardens. Truth be told it is not a really long lived one, however, averaging about 15-20 years. Even though it says it will survive in Zone 4, in my experience it needs a rather protected site, even in Zone 5.

Legend has it that Judas Iscariot hung himself from the European species of this tree, thus it is sometimes referred to as " The Judas " tree. It's flowers can be eaten fried or tossed in salads . Cardinals are attracted to its seeds.

The Redbud needs a soil with lots of organic matter and does better if protected from windy, bitterly cold areas.