Texas Redbud

The Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) is a beautiful small native tree. I'm sure you've seen them and right now they are in full bloom and can't be missed. They are a favorite of landscapers and a great choice since they are well-adapted and drought-tolerant. They are a legume and a member of the pea family.

The pink or purple flowers emerge in early spring, or maybe late winter because they are in bloom right now and have been for a couple of weeks. The flowers emerge on bare branches, before the leaves come out, and are quite striking. Butterflies and bees love the nectar and birds eat the seeds. In Mexico they fry the flowers for human consumption.

I only know of one on our property, or at least one that I know exactly where it is. There are also several in the neighborhood that we see during our dog walks. I would not call it very rare, but it is not wide-spread.

These photos of the one on our property were taken today. The tree is growing at a 30 degree angle and is about 12 feet high. It seems to be trying to get out from underneath an oak and several ashe junipers to reach the light. The lower branches don't have flowers on them so they may be dead. I'll check them when the leaves are out. It's growing in rocky soil and seems to do pretty well. We never water it or fertilize it, so I would say it's quite hardy. If you plant one in your landscape, it will look great even if you never take care of it!

In this closeup, you can see the leaf buds are starting to appear.

The fruit is a pod, as you might expect from a legume and is flat and reddish brown.