© The Dabney Nursery
Plant: Merlot - Redbud Tree
Redbud Tree · Cercis canadensis 'Merlot'
Size: 7 gal
Light
Bloom
Mature size
More about this plant
A compact redbud bred at North Carolina State University, reaching only 12 to 15 feet tall and wide with a tight, dense, semi-upright habit. Bright lavender-pink pea-like flowers cover the bare branches in spring, then thick, glossy dark purple heart-shaped leaves hold their colour through summer heat far better than older purple leaved selections. It takes full sun to partial sun, needs regular water while establishing and tolerates moderate drought once mature. Use it as a small specimen, a focal point in a border, an understory tree or a plant near water features where the dark foliage reads as contrast. It draws pollinators in spring.
- Full Sun
- Grows to 15 ft tall and 15 ft wide
- Blooms in spring
- Hardy in USDA zones 6-9
- Deciduous foliage
- Native plant
Plant description
A compact redbud bred at North Carolina State University, reaching only 12 to 15 feet tall and wide with a tight, dense, semi-upright habit. Bright lavender-pink pea-like flowers cover the bare branches in spring, then thick, glossy dark purple heart-shaped leaves hold their colour through summer heat far better than older purple leaved selections. It takes full sun to partial sun, needs regular water while establishing and tolerates moderate drought once mature. Use it as a small specimen, a focal point in a border, an understory tree or a plant near water features where the dark foliage reads as contrast. It draws pollinators in spring.
- Foliage
- Lustrous dark purple, thick, glossy heart-shaped leaves that hold their colour through summer heat better than older purple leaved redbuds.
- Fruit
- A flat, oblong seedpod (legume), green turning brown, with about 9 seeds per pod.
- Bark & stems
- Smooth when young, then develops long narrow plates that break into scales with age; orange inner bark can show.
- Pruning
- Prune out dead branches as needed. Site in a relatively protected area because the branches are brittle.
- Native range
- Eastern and central North America, from North Carolina to eastern Mexico (species)
