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THE GARDEN SAGEA library of living things
Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion

Rising Sun redbud

Cercis canadensis

Yellow spring foliage on an eastern redbud; species reference only. The photograph does not establish Rising Sun cultivar identity.
Yellow spring foliage on an eastern redbud; species reference only. The photograph does not establish Rising Sun cultivar identity.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeFamartin ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.

Colorful compact native cultivar; afternoon shade prevents scorch on exposed sites.

Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
8–12
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
8–12
BLOOM SEASON
Early spring
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Get to know this plant.

Identification clue 1

Heart-shaped leaves

Identification clue 2

Smooth leaf edges

Identification clue 3

Pink flowers directly on older wood

Read the leaves

A broad heart-shaped blade has veins radiating from its base. Follow the stalk to an alternate bud.

More growing details

Read the bark

Young bark is relatively smooth; older trunks develop small, thin plates.

Fruit & seed

Flat bean-like pods often linger on branches. Pods support a redbud identification even when flowers are gone.

Winter character

Dark zigzag twigs, alternate buds, and lingering pods offer useful clues.

Origin & place

The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.

Compare with Katsura

Katsura usually has opposite leaves with small rounded teeth; redbud leaves are alternate and smooth-edged.

WNC Notes

Colorful compact native cultivar; afternoon shade prevents scorch on exposed sites.

Sun Exposure

Full sun–part shade

MATURE HEIGHT (FT)

8–12

MATURE WIDTH (FT)

8–12

BLOOM SEASON

Early spring

BLOOM COLOR

Pink

FALL / WINTER COLOR

Yellow-orange foliage

Wet-Soil Tolerance

Low–moderate

Drought Tolerance

Moderate

LOOK CLOSELY

Two views, a closer look.

Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.

Yellow spring foliage on an eastern redbud; species reference only. The photograph does not establish Rising Sun cultivar identity.
Yellow spring foliage on an eastern redbud; species reference only. The photograph does not establish Rising Sun cultivar identity.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeFamartin ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Heart-shaped leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.
Heart-shaped leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDavid J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Rough brown bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Rough brown bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDavid J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Group of dangling, dried bean pods — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.
Group of dangling, dried bean pods — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeJDMcGreg ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.

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