A spectacular spring bloomer, with very showy pink to purple flowers held tightly on bare branches in early spring; somewhat coarse heart-shaped leaves; rivals any small ornamental tree for specimen use in the home landscape Eastern Redbud is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage. This is a relatively low maintenance tree, 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; Eastern Redbud has rose pea-like flowers along the branches from early to mid spring, which emerge from distinctive fuchsia flower buds before the leaves. It has forest green deciduous foliage which emerges burgundy in spring. The heart-shaped leaves turn buttery yellow in fall. Eastern Redbud will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
