Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’

Description

A spectacular and hardy spring bloomer, with very showy lavender-red flowers held tightly on bare branches in early spring; burgundy foliage emerges, maturing to a deep violet-purple; a great weeping ornamental tree for specimen use in the landscape

Ruby Falls Redbud is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a rounded form and gracefully weeping branches. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season’s flowers. Deer don’t particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Ruby Falls Redbud has lavender pea-like flowers with red overtones along the branches from early to mid spring before the leaves. It has attractive burgundy deciduous foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The heart-shaped leaves are highly ornamental and turn yellow in fall.

Ruby Falls Redbud will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.