Redbud

By: John Degroot

May 3 2008

            Flowering trees have exploded into colour within the past week, a sure sign of spring.  Magnolias were the first to break bud, followed almost immediately by Flowering Pear.  In a matter of days, we’ll see Flowering Crabs and Flowering Cherries come to glory. 

            My personal favorite spring flowering tree is Eastern Redbud (cercis Canadensis), a native North American tree that produces masses of delightful tiny bright purplish-pink blooms that appear up and down all the stems of the graceful plant.

            For residents of Lambton County, Redbud trees will soon gain notoriety because of a joint effort between Rayjon and DeGroots Nurseries.  During the period from June 6 through 14, residents of Lambton County will be able to pick up a free 2 year old Redbud seedling from DeGroots.  Volunteers with Rayjon will be on hand to assist with distribution of the seedlings. 

            This joint venture will also give residents of Lambton County an opportunity to become more informed about reforestation efforts in Haiti and more specifically, raise awareness of Rayjon’s goal to plant 1 million trees in Haiti.  Gifts of support towards Rayjon’s work will be gladly received without obligation.

            Redbud trees were chosen for this effort primarily because of their impressive flowers.  Also noteworthy is the fact that Redbuds will grow well in Southwestern Ontario, but as you travel North, East or West, Redbuds become increasingly unreliable.  The Sarnia Lambton area is fortunate to enjoy temperatures slightly warmer than the majority of the province.  Redbuds will also grow with ease in Chatham and Windsor area, as well as the Niagara region but planting Redbuds much North of Toronto is risky.   

            It is difficult to imagine what the impact of thousands of Redbud trees will have on Lambton County in years to come, but we can be sure Sarnia Lambton’s profile within Ontario will increase by a few notches.

            While we wait for the June 6 launch of the Redbud giveaway, it might be wise to plan a spot in our home landscapes.  Redbuds will grow to 4 or 5 metres high with nearly the same width, so they should not be planted against the house or in foundation plantings. They will look great as a specimen tree in the front or back yard, and would also appreciate a spot against a fence or part of a shrub border.  For those who want to plant the seedling in the centre of the yard, it might be a good idea to plant it in a garden for a few years, with the intention of transplanting it in the yard when it has achieved a larger size. 

            Redbuds are considered an understory tree, meaning they prefer to grow at the edge of the forest.  They like a location with full sun or partial shade.  Redbuds are not a large growing tree so there is no danger of providing too much shade or growing into utility wires.  They do not have an aggressive root system and will never pose a threat to drainage tiles, sidewalks or house foundations.

            There will only be 8,000 Redbud seedlings available.  A postcard voucher will be mailed to each household in early June.  Stay tuned for further details.