Mature Size: 15 to 30 feet in height, 6 to 10 inches in diameter
Form: Small tree with thick, spreading branches and an often twisted trunk
Habitat: Understory of moist, well-drained woodlands
Leaves: Alternate, simple, heart-shaped, smooth-edged, 3 to 5 inches long and wide
Flowers: Bright pink to purple, ½ inch long, similar to pea flowers, in clusters along the twigs and small branches, appearing before the leaves in early spring
Fruit: Oblong, flattened, many-seeded pod, 2 to 4 inches long; resembling a snow pea pod
Bark: Initially smooth and brown, later ridged and furrowed to scaly and dark gray; may have some maroon patches evident and orange in the cracks
Twigs: Slender and zigzag, nearly black, spotted with lighter pores; leaf buds tiny, dark red to chestnut in color; flowers buds are round and often in large clusters on older woody stems
Values and Uses: The wood is heavy, hard, not strong, and rich, dark brown in color. It has little commercial value. Some birds and mammals eat the seeds. Redbud is planted as an ornamental tree suitable for small landscapes.
Did You Know? Redbud bark was historically used to treat dysentery.
