Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum

Scientific name: Cercis canadensis

Common name: eastern redbud

Native: Yes

Native range: Native to the eastern United States, south-central United States, and parts of southeastern Canada [1,3,4,6].

Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for C. canadensis.

USDA Zones: 4B-9A [4]

Maximum age: Rarely lives longer than 30 years [4].

Ecology: Hummingbirds visit the flowers, while various birds, deer, and squirrels consume the seeds [1,2,3,6]. Its early blooming floral display is an important nectar resource for honeybees, native bee species, and butterflies [7].

Ethnobotany: The flowers are edible, palatable, and make for a beautiful feature in salads [1,2,3,6]. They can also be dredged in flour, fried, and eaten as fritters [1,6]. Indigenous American groups use the tree as a fever-reducer, cold remedy, treatment for dysentary, and a treatment for whooping cough, as well as a source of materials for basketry [1,2,3,5,6].