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Eastern Redbud Tree

$13995
Height
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Risk-Free 1 Year Warranty
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Your Plants are Guaranteed to Grow

Your plants are guaranteed to arrive happy & healthy with our 1 Year Warranty. Your order will arrive healthy and stay healthy while they adapt to your climate. If your tree arrives damaged or dies within 30 days, we'll replace it for free. If it dies after 30 days, but before 1 year, we will replace it for just 50% of the current price.

Free Shipping on All Orders

Relax... we've got you covered with free shipping on every order! We ship out so many huge plants, we've negotiated a low rate with our carriers... and we pass those savings on to you! Your plants will ship out the next business day... expertly packed so that your plants will arrive happy and healthy!

Is Now a Good Time to Plant?

Yes! Fall is one of the best times to plant!

Landscaping experts often recommend planting in fall instead of waiting until spring. Here’s why:

  • Cooler weather puts less stress on newly planted trees and shrubs.
  • Fall soil is still warm, which helps roots grow and get established.
  • Cooler temperatures mean less water is lost through the leaves, making it easier for plants to stay hydrated.
  • Even after top growth slows for winter, roots continue developing below ground.
  • Fall weather often brings more rain and less heat, making new plants easier to care for.
  • By spring, your plants already have a head start. Their established roots can support strong new leaves, branches, and flowers.
  • Trees planted in spring must establish their roots while also dealing with rising temperatures and summer heat.

Plant this fall, and your trees can spend the cooler months getting settled instead of waiting until spring to get started!

Planting your Eastern Redbud Tree

Planting Instructions for Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

  1. Site Selection and Soil Preparation:
  • Location: Choose a site with full sun to partial shade. Eastern Redbuds thrive in sunny locations but can tolerate light shade, especially in hotter climates. They are perfect for adding spring color to gardens.
  • Soil: The Eastern Redbud prefers well-draining soil, though it is quite adaptable and can tolerate a range of soil types, including clay. However, amend clay soils with compost to improve drainage. The soil should be slightly acidic to neutral (pH 6.0-7.5).
  • Digging: Dig a hole that is about twice as wide and slightly shallower than the root ball. The shallow planting prevents settling, which can drown the plant’s roots when watered.
  1. Planting:
  • Place the tree in the hole, ensuring the root flare (where the trunk meets the roots) sits just above soil level. This prevents rot and encourages strong root growth.
  • Backfill the hole with the original soil mixed with compost. Firm the soil gently around the roots to remove air pockets.
  • Water thoroughly after planting to help the soil settle around the roots.
  • Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree, leaving a few inches of space around the trunk to prevent rot. Mulching helps retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.

Care Instructions

  1. Watering: For the first year, water your Eastern Redbud regularly to help it establish. Deep water the tree once a week, soaking the soil to encourage deep root development. After establishment, it is drought-tolerant, though supplemental watering during hot, dry spells is beneficial.
  2. Fertilizing: Eastern Redbuds do not require heavy fertilization. In early spring, you can apply a slow-release balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) if your soil is poor. Otherwise, organic matter like compost should be sufficient.
  3. Monitoring: Keep an eye on the tree for signs of stress, such as wilting leaves, which could indicate improper watering. Additionally, look out for pests such as leafhoppers and caterpillars or diseases like canker and verticillium wilt. Prune affected branches immediately if disease is detected.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

  1. Pruning: Eastern Redbuds benefit from light pruning in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to maintain the tree's structure and promote healthy growth. Additionally, remove any suckers that appear at the base of the tree.
  2. Pest and Disease Control: Eastern Redbuds are relatively resistant to pests, but they can occasionally suffer from fungal diseases like canker or verticillium wilt. Ensure good air circulation around the tree by pruning for airflow and avoiding overwatering. For pests like aphids or caterpillars, you can use insecticidal soap or neem oil if needed.
  3. Seasonal Care:
  • In the fall, ensure your Redbud has a layer of mulch to protect the roots from cold weather. The tree is hardy, but protection from harsh winter conditions will help younger trees thrive.
What Customers say about the Eastern Redbud Tree:

The Eastern Redbud Tree thrives in Zones 4-9

Growing Zones for the Eastern Redbud Tree

If you live in the green area above, we recommend the Eastern Redbud Tree.

Your Growing Zone
Recommended Zones 4-9
Mature Height 20-30 ft.
Mature Width 10-15 ft.
Cannot Ship To AZ, OR
Sunlight Full to Partial Sun
Botanical Name Cercis canadensis

Plants that Make a Difference

For 20+ years, our team has shipped healthy, established plants to gardeners like you- all across the country. Every plant is selected and cared for by our plant experts before it ships to your door.

  • 20+ Years Experience

  • Superior Quality

  • Free Shipping on All Orders

  • Guaranteed to Grow

A vibrant Eastern Redbud tree in full bloom, displaying an abundance of bright pink flowers that cover its branches. The tree stands alone in a grassy, open landscape with lush green trees in the background, creating a striking contrast between the pink blossoms and the surrounding greenery.

Beware- not all Eastern Redbuds are the same.

Be sure to get superior flowering trees, grown by experts.

Better Roots Make Stronger Plants: Some nurseries send you "bare root" flowering trees to save on shipping. Even worse, others have started digging them right out of the ground before shipping. This causes major transplant shock and long-term damage. We send you Eastern Redbuds in soil-filled containers- ensuring a well-developed root system that will explode with growth and blooms!

Healthy Plants: We've seen other nurseries grow tall flowering trees in tiny pots to save on shipping. This leads to a "root bound" tree, where the roots have outgrown their pot- they cannot absorb water and nutrients. They quickly dry out during shipment, leading to an unhealthy tree.

Close-up of an Eastern Redbud branch covered in clusters of vibrant pink blossoms, set against a softly blurred background of additional pink blooms and hints of blue sky. The flowers create a dense, colorful display characteristic of the Eastern Redbud’s early spring bloom.

The Eastern Redbud is one of the first trees to bloom each spring- a native four-season tree that lights up bare branches with color.

  • Pinkish-purple blossoms cover bare branches in early to mid-spring and last for weeks
  • Heart-shaped leaves that turn warm yellow in fall
  • Native to North America, with early flowers that feed bees and butterflies
  • Grows 20-30 ft. tall in full sun to partial shade, and is hardy in zones 4-9

Not all plants are created equal

The Difference Is in the Roots

Every plant we ship has grown in a nursery container with its roots protected, so it arrives healthy, established and ready to thrive in your yard.

A full, branched Nationwide Plants tree in a nursery pot next to a thin bare-root tree with exposed roots Ours: container grown Theirs: bare root
Nationwide Plants Other Nurseries
How it's grown Grown in a nursery container, roots protected the whole time Pulled or dug from the field, tearing fragile roots
How it arrives Arrives in its pot with soil intact Arrives bare root, exposed and drying out
Before shipping Growing naturally until it ships Held dormant in a cooler, then shocked by a hot shipping box
Root health Strong, well-developed roots with room to grow Crammed into a small pot until it's root bound
Height Measured from the top of the soil Often includes the pot and roots
After planting Settles in quickly with less transplant shock Arrives stressed and can take years to recover, if it does

The height you see is the height you plant.

We measure every plant from the top of the soil, not the bottom of the pot. Many nurseries include the pot and roots, so a "5–6 ft." tree from them might stand only 4 ft. tall once it's planted.

Comparisons reflect common practices across the online plant industry, not any single company.

Eastern Redbud tree in a mulch bed near a brown wooden fence with a picket fence in the foreground.

Honest Measurements: Some nurseries measure trees including the pot and roots, so their "6-7 ft." tree may only be about half that size when planted. We measure all of our plants from the soil line, so the height you see is what you can expect after planting.

From our nursery to your door

How We Ship Your Plants

Every order is hand-selected, watered and carefully packed so it arrives healthy and ready to plant. Here's what happens after you place your order.

  1. Hand-Picked for You

    Our team selects the best plant available for your order. For privacy trees, that's the tallest and fullest. For fruit trees, it's the best branched.

    Why it matters: Many online nurseries ship whatever is next in the row.

  2. A Deep Drink Before the Trip

    Every plant gets a thorough watering right before it's packed, so it starts the journey fully hydrated.

  3. Roots Sealed In

    We wrap the pot and roots in plastic to lock in moisture, so your plant has water to drink all the way to your door.

    Why it matters: Bare-root plants are often shipped with their roots exposed and drying out.

  4. Braced for the Ride

    Cardboard inserts are secured inside every box to hold your plant in place, so it won't slide, tip or get damaged in transit.

  5. Shipped Only by FedEx

    We ship your trees exclusively with FedEx. We've found they deliver the fastest and handle live plants the most gently.

And if anything goes wrong, every plant is backed by our 1 Year Warranty.

Healthy Roots Make a Huge Difference

  • Never buy bare-root plants. These trees are starved of nutrients, and have a low survival rate.
  • Beware of nurseries cut corners by growing in small pots. These "rootbound" plants are weak, struggle to absorb nutrients, and die quickly after planting.
  • Some nurseries try to sell oversized plants, but chop off vital roots so they can cram the rootball into a narrow box to save on shipping!
An Eastern Redbud tree with a dense canopy of heart-shaped green leaves, providing shade over a landscaped area with stone-edged mulch and a wooden bench beneath it.

You Want Eastern Redbuds Grown by Experts

Some nurseries ship thin, weak trees grown in tiny pots to save money. These "root bound" trees struggle after planting and take longer to fill out and bloom well.

Nationwide Plants only sends you strong Eastern Redbuds, selected and cared for by our plant experts, with healthy, developed root systems. That means your tree settles in quickly and starts giving you that early spring color sooner.

Read more about the Eastern Redbud Tree

Eastern Redbud – A Stunning Spring Bloomer with Year-Round Beauty

The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a breathtaking ornamental tree known for its brilliant display of pinkish-purple blooms in early spring. This native tree brings a burst of color to your landscape just as winter fades, covering its bare branches with vibrant flowers that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. As the season progresses, the Eastern Redbud continues to impress with heart-shaped foliage, vibrant fall color, and graceful branch structure, making it a standout in any garden or yard year-round.

Key Features of the Eastern Redbud:

  • Brilliant Spring Blooms: Produces masses of vibrant pink or purple flowers along its bare branches in early spring, providing a stunning display.
  • Heart-Shaped Leaves: Features beautiful, deep green, heart-shaped leaves that add charm and elegance to your landscape.
  • Compact & Versatile: Grows 20-30 feet tall, making it perfect for smaller yards, garden borders, or as an accent tree.
  • Year-Round Interest: From spring blossoms to fall color and winter branch structure, this tree offers multi-season appeal.
  • Native & Wildlife-Friendly: A North American native that attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, while providing habitat and beauty to your yard.

Stunning Spring Blooms for Early-Season Beauty

The Eastern Redbud is one of the first trees to bloom in the spring, making it a true harbinger of the season. In early to mid-spring, its bare branches become covered in clusters of bright pinkish-purple flowers, creating a spectacular floral display before the leaves even emerge. These vibrant blossoms last for weeks, making the Eastern Redbud a focal point in any landscape. The flowers also attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, bringing life and beauty to your garden as the season begins.

Heart-Shaped Foliage and Fall Color

As the spring flowers fade, the Eastern Redbud continues to shine with its lush, heart-shaped leaves. The deep green foliage adds elegance and texture to your garden throughout the summer. In the fall, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, providing a beautiful transition of color as the seasons change. This multi-season appeal makes the Eastern Redbud a versatile tree that offers beauty long after the spring blooms have fallen.

Perfect for Small Yards, Gardens, or Landscapes

With its manageable size, the Eastern Redbud grows 20-30 feet tall and wide, making it an ideal choice for smaller yards, garden borders, or as a specimen tree. It has a rounded, spreading canopy that provides light, dappled shade without overwhelming the space, making it perfect for planting near patios, walkways, or as part of a mixed garden design. Its compact size and graceful branching structure allow it to fit into a variety of landscape settings, adding charm and beauty wherever it’s planted.

Year-Round Interest

While the Eastern Redbud is famous for its spring blossoms, it offers beauty in every season. Its heart-shaped leaves provide lush greenery in the summer, while its branches take on a graceful form in the winter, offering an attractive silhouette against the winter sky. Even when the tree is not in bloom, its twisting branches add character and visual interest to your garden. In fall, the tree’s yellow foliage adds a pop of autumnal color, making it a year-round asset to your landscape.

Wildlife-Friendly and Native to North America

As a native North American tree, the Eastern Redbud is an excellent choice for gardeners looking to create a more sustainable and wildlife-friendly landscape. Its flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, helping support the local ecosystem. The tree is also a food source for native wildlife, including hummingbirds and small animals that enjoy its seeds and blossoms. By planting an Eastern Redbud, you’re not only adding beauty to your yard but also supporting local wildlife.

Easy to Grow & Low Maintenance

The Eastern Redbud is remarkably easy to grow, making it a popular choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils. Once established, it’s drought-tolerant and requires minimal care beyond occasional pruning to maintain its shape. Its natural resistance to pests and diseases also makes it a low-maintenance option, allowing you to enjoy its beauty without constant upkeep.

Why Choose Nationwide Plants?

At Nationwide Plants, we are committed to offering the highest-quality trees and shrubs that are grown with care to ensure they arrive healthy and ready to thrive in your garden. Our Eastern Redbud Trees are hand-selected for their beauty and resilience, ensuring they will make a stunning addition to your landscape. With fast shipping and exceptional customer service, we make it easy to bring the beauty of this iconic tree to your home.

Add Year-Round Beauty to Your Landscape – Order Your Eastern Redbud Tree Today!

Create a stunning spring display and enjoy year-round beauty with the Eastern Redbud Tree. Perfect for small gardens, patios, or as a focal point, this versatile tree delivers vibrant color and elegance to any outdoor space. Order today from Nationwide Plants and enjoy fast, reliable delivery of this exceptional tree right to your door!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Eastern Redbud Tree

When does the Eastern Redbud bloom?

The Eastern Redbud blooms in early to mid-spring, often as one of the first trees to flower each year. Clusters of bright pinkish-purple blossoms cover the bare branches before the leaves appear, and the display lasts for weeks. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other early pollinators.

How big does an Eastern Redbud tree get?

An Eastern Redbud tree typically grows 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It forms a rounded, spreading canopy that casts light, dappled shade, making it a great fit for smaller yards, patios, walkways, and mixed garden borders or as a single specimen tree.

What zones does Eastern Redbud grow in?

Eastern Redbud grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9. As a tree native to North America, it handles cold winters and hot summers well. Young trees benefit from a layer of mulch in fall to protect the roots from harsh winter conditions.

Does Eastern Redbud need full sun or shade?

Eastern Redbud grows well in full sun to partial shade. It blooms most heavily in sunny locations but appreciates light afternoon shade in hotter climates. As a native understory tree, it adapts well to the edge of woodlands or spots with filtered light.

Is the Eastern Redbud native?

Yes, the Eastern Redbud is native to North America. It is an excellent choice for wildlife-friendly and sustainable landscapes, since its early spring flowers feed bees, butterflies, and other pollinators when few other plants are blooming. Planting it helps support your local ecosystem.

What does an Eastern Redbud look like in fall and summer?

In summer, the Eastern Redbud is covered in deep green, heart-shaped leaves, and in fall the foliage turns a warm yellow. In winter, its graceful, sometimes twisting branches create an attractive silhouette. Together with its spring blooms, this makes it a true four-season tree.

What kind of soil does Eastern Redbud need?

Eastern Redbud prefers well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.5, but it adapts to many soil types, including clay. Amend heavy clay with compost to improve drainage. Plant so the root flare sits just above the soil line to prevent rot.

How often should I water a newly planted Eastern Redbud?

Water a newly planted Eastern Redbud deeply once a week during its first year, soaking the soil to encourage deep roots. Once established it is drought tolerant, though extra water during hot, dry spells keeps it looking its best. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch helps retain moisture.

When should I prune an Eastern Redbud?

Prune an Eastern Redbud lightly in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches and any suckers at the base to maintain a strong structure. Prune out branches with signs of canker or disease promptly to keep the tree healthy.

How far from my house should I plant an Eastern Redbud?

Plant an Eastern Redbud at least 8 to 10 feet from your house, and about 15 feet from other trees, so its 10 to 15 foot canopy has room to develop. Its modest size makes it suitable near patios and walkways, where its spring flowers and light shade can be enjoyed up close.
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