Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'
Common name:
Forest Pansy Redbud
Pronunciation:
SER-sis kan-a-DEN-sis
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Deciduous tree, 20 ft (6 m) tall and 25 ft (7.6 m) wide, spreading, horizontally tiered reddish branches. Leaves simple, alternate, glossy red-purple when young, more maroon as they mature, becoming purple-green or even dark green in summer (see below), similar to species type in size and shape (i.e., 7.5-13 cm across, heart-shaped, conspicuous swelling just below blade). Fall color may be a mixture of green, red, and orange. Small (13 mm) rosy-purple flowers in spring before leaves appear. Fruit (pods) 6-8 cm long, reddish than brown.
- Sun
- Hardy to USDA Zone (4) 5 This cultivar was discovered in 1947 as a chance seedling at the former Forest Nursery in McMinnville, Tennessee. It is variously reported as a discovery made by the nursery's owner Hiram B. Stubblefield or by its foreman, Charlie Keel (Troy Jarrell, relative of H.B. Stubblefield).
- In western Oregon the purplish-maroon leaf color may be maintained until late July or early August, whereas in some warmer areas of the country, such as the Southeast and southern Plains States, the intense purplish color may be lost by the end of May.