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Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

Pink-purple flowers line bare branches before the heart-shaped leaves emerge.

73
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
20–30 feet
Spread
25–35 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to May
Fruiting season
Summer to fall

Recorded in 65 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 154 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Care

  • Water during dry spells; drought stresses this tree.
  • Avoid wet soil.
  • Plant in its lasting position while young.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

29CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Cercis

  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Callophrys henriciHenry's Elfin
  • Callophrys irusThe Hoary Elfin, Bog Elfin?, Frosted Elfin
  • Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Show all 29
  • Desmia funeralisGrape Leaffolder Moth
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Fascista cercerisellaRedbud Leafroller
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Macaria promiscuataPromiscuous Angle
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Norape cretataWhite Flannel Moth
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Papilio troilusSpicebush Swallowtail
  • Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Cenopis chambersana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
14BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cercis

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Beetles 1
  • Molorchus bimaculatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 2
  • Empis otiosa
  • Rhamphomyia priapulus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 3
  • Thanaos juvenalis
  • Vanessa atalanta
  • Vanessa huntera

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 1
  • Polistes variatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Pink, purple or red
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Water until established and avoid root disturbance. Shelter brittle branches and avoid persistently wet sites. NC State Extension

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Pink, purple or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
  • Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “20–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “25–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Recognizing it

Alternate heart-shaped leaves; pea-like flowers grow directly on older branches. Identification source

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources