Quercus

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

Native to South Carolina (estimated)

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

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?

29CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · 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
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

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

Recognizing it

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

Conservation status

South Carolina rankNot available
Global rankG5
SC statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources