cerc3880

NOS
CERCIS
PAGE

Here is the very nature and real beauty of redbuds in an exquisite miniature scene only nature could design. These
buds of magenta-rose appear on a very old Cercis canadensis well encrusted with lichens and spanish moss at
Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. Most members of the genus can produce clusters of dense buds and
eventually flowers directly from thick limbs and trunks, an occurance known as cauliflory ("stem flowering").
Click image. LCH.

Copyright 1998-2006. Laurence C. Hatch. All Rights Reserved.
All downloading, printing, saving to media, imaging, screen capture, or offline use is prohibited.
Duplication by any means, method, or technology is unlawful.
Do not link to this page.

NOTE: Under each species, the taxa are alphabetized by terminal epithet whether it is a cultivar, form, or variety.

Cercis - general papers
li: Burns, S. and J.C. Raulston. 1994. An updated checklist of existing
li: ...Cercis taxa. S. Nur. Assoc. Proc. 38: 342-345.

li: Davis, C. 2002. Phylogeny and biogeographiy of Cercis: evidence from nuclear
li: ribosomal ITS and chloroplast ndhF sequential data. Syst. Bot. 27(2): 289-302.
li: (a good modern understanding of species relationships. They used cultivated
li: examples (in part) including plants known from the Raulston collections).

Click image to enlarge
Cercis hybrid evaluation plots, US National Arboretum, Washington DC 4/13/03. Approximately 300 plants are on trial there.

Cercis - Breeding Programs
1) US National Arboretum has a large number of hybrids made by the late Dr. Donald Egolf. These are under evaluation.
2) Dr. Dennis Werner at North Carolina State University is evaluating the following crosses:

Cercis 'Bubble Gum' (8/5)
lsp: JC Raulston Arboretum, bed W12, received 2/9/2005. Presumably a flower color suggesting the name.
id, ns: species affinity not reported.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis - click image
Brookgreen Gardens, SC USA. Spring 2004. A real pretty bright example, pinker than some but not especially worth
naming with all the other "clear pink" clones out there.

'Ace of Hearts' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. June 2005. An interesting and hopefully valuable clone with smaller, more textured foliage. I borrowed a typically
dimensioned leaf from a nearby species tree and inserted it for photographic comparison. As the plant is also more compact, one could
hope it ages more gracefully than many species examples which sprawl, hang, and even split in some awkward ways. We'll see.

'Ace of Hearts' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. March 26, 2006. Same tree as above. These flowers are surprising tiny yet densely packed, appearing a very much
lighter pink overall, especially in the corolla portion. Note the size of the US quarter in the second photo. This little beauty reminded of me
tiny pink popcorn stiched closely to each branch. I have studied the genus Cercis for several decades and never once seen anything in bloom
anything close to this.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Ace of Hearts' (5/5)
ht: 12 ft. tall x 11 ft. wide (10 years)
ha: shorter internodes, more compact, neater with age with most seedlings
ll, ls: notable for leaves half of typical species size, giving a finer texture
fd: smaller than species typical. See photo above with US quarter which is about 1 inch wide.
fc: corolla a light, clean pink, calyx darker magenta-rose.
fq: very floriferous, the tiny flowers closely clustered on the branchets, doubtless due to shorter pedicels.
so: Landsteward.com (online catalog 2005)

f. alba - click image for a larger version
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2003.

f. alba - click image for a larger version
Same tree as above but in April 2005. This cultivar is eventually quite large as the species (15 ft. tall x perhaps 20 ft. wide).

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis f. alba Rehd.
fc: white
or: Jacobson (1996) states that is was "first discovered <1903 in Teas' Nursery of Carthage, MO (unless B.K.
or: Boom is right in saying it originated in Austria in 1792).
ns: This name includes several clones of which 'Royal White' is best so far (2002). 'Dwarf White' has much merit
ns: for smaller gardens.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Amethyst Mist' (2/5)
lsp, so: JC Raulston Arboretum received 2/2005 from Shadow Nursery, TN USA

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Appalachia'
fc: rich rose-red, very near red in bud, as dark as 'Oklahoma' in the early states

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Bartlett King' (9/00)
fc: pink, closer to subspecies typical shade
frq: sterile - lacking pods
or: Bartlett Tree Labs, Charlotte NC USA before 1990

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis BURGUNDY HEARTS™ 'Greswan' (3/7)
lc: bright reddish-purple, holding color much longer in summer than 'Forest Pansy'
or, in, so: www.greenleafnursery.com (online catalog 2007), their own selection

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Columbus' ('Wisconsin' in part)
ch: more hardy than species typical, a useful seed strain for midwestern, prairie, and northern US states - USDA 4 or better
or: collected near Columbus, WI from a very durable population
ns: the name Wisconsin Strain or 'Wisconsin' appears to refer to this same selected population.

'Dwarf White' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2005. There may be exceptions but I cannot think of such a small
f. alba with so many flowers on a plant this short.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis f. alba 'Dwarf White'
ht: 8-10 ft. - smaller tree
fc: white as in f. alba
fq: more abundant than some f. alba
ns: the name is certainly invalid since simple descriptive names are
ns: disallowed in the code.
so: Roslyn Nur. in 1993 at 516-643-9347

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Fantasy Falls' (6/02)
so, ns: a listed name with styers.com (online catalog 2002)

'Flame' - click image
Same tree above but April 2005 which thicker stems and more robust flowering. Okay, it's no
Kanzan (Kwanzan) cherry but for this genus it's a real shocker. Every arboretum needs one.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Flame' ('Plena', 'Flore-pleno')
ha: more erect branches than typical seedlings
fc: brighter pink - however registrant stated color was typical?!
fd: larger than typical
ft: semi-double and appearing larger in effect
pc: up to 20 petals and 'multiple non-functional pistils'
bt: later according to originator
ch: 4
rai: can replace species for better color and fuller bloom
rd: 30 June 1964 by Dr. J.C. McDaniel of Univ. of IL at Urbana IL
or: seedling found in wild at Ft. Adams MS by Mr. Anderson Gratz around 1905. Jacobsen (1996)
or: mentions a 'Plena' offered by Kingsville Nursery, MD and 1959 with an origination date of
or: <1894. We know of no data to support more than one double clone at this time.
in: Louis Gerardi Nur. of O'Fallon IL in 1965
so: Roslyn Nursery 516-643-9347
li: Wyman, D. 1966. More plant registrations. Arnoldia 26(3): 15.

'Floating Clouds' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2006. A nice young tree just across from two examples of 'Silver Cloud' for easy comparison. Note how the chimera
seems to be evenly distributed on the leaf blade in this clone. The blades with lots of chimera are often cupped or convex at first, flattening as
they widen and become more green.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Floating Clouds' (2/5)
lc: white mottled green. First impressions suggest it has more chimera than 'Silver Cloud'. The young tree
lc: at the Raulston (Spring 2006) shows mottling over the entire blade and not just near the margins as is
lc: typical of 'Silver Cloud'.
lsp, so: JC Raulston Arboretum received 2/2005 from Shadow Nursery, TN USA
so: Roslyn Nursery (online catalog 2005)

'Forest Pansy' - click image to enlarge
Pullen Park, Raleigh, North Carolina. Summer 2002. There are some great specimans of this distinct cultivar out there. This one impresses me
most for it was allowed to expand and develop that natural species' form for 25 or more years without restraint. LCH.

'Forest Pansy' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2005. The first few burgundy leaves make the cultivar stand out from others of the
ordinary green sort. This anthocyanin-loaded clone has a darker red calyx than "species typical"

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Forest Pansy'
lc: dark purple in spring becoming purplish-green to 'dirty' green by summer. Shade is harmful to enduring color.
lc: the color lasts longer into summer in cooler climates and with a more sunny exposure. Shade and heat wash it out.
fc: typical medium pink. The calyx seems a bit darker purplish-pink than the lighter flowered clones. This would
fc: expected for a clone with more anthocyanins in the leaf.
rai: can replace the species for foliage interest after blooming
pat: US #2556 in 1965 as 'Purple Leaf'
or: Charles Keel and Eugene Nunley as 'Purple Leaf'
in: Forest Nur. Co. - hence origin of Forest epithet?

Cercis canadensis f. glabrifolia Fernald
lv, ns, id: a old listed name from Fernald, apparently for a more glabrous variant. It is not a name seen
lv, ns, id: in literature or trade catalogs today (5/2006)

'Hearts of Gold' - click image
JC Raulston Arvboretum. July 30, 2005. A pale limey-yellow now and showing signs of bleaching. This is not unexpected for
the recent weather has been 95-104 degrees with endless, unforgiving sun and enough humidity to choke a frog. We'll give
this clone a fairer shot next spring and early summer and see if those weeks give it a better glow.

'Hearts of Gold' - click image
JC Raulston Arvboretum. April 15, 2006. Same plant as above showing the nice contrast of golden new leaves with those of 'Forest Pansy'
in the background. These ain't your grandpa's redbuds.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Hearts of Gold' (2/5)
lc: reddish new growth becomes golden-yellow, remaining so all summer
or: John Roethling, NC USA
in, so: Wayside Gardens (online catalog February 2005), exclusive US mailorder introduction 2005

Cercis canadensis JOY'S PRIDE™ 'Morton' (10/4)
frc: pods "eggplant colored" (dark reddish-purple) in winter, showy
fc: dark lavender-purple
lc: dark green
lsp: Morton Arboretum 2000 obtained from Harold Neubauer, Hidden Hollow Nursery.
so, in: www.greenleafnursery.com (online catalog 2007)

LAVENDER TWIST™ 'Covey' - click image to enlarge
Dawes Arboretum. Summer 2003. A curious and fascinating clone that the folks in Ohio here put in prominant spot. For the uninformed
you could mistake it for a solitary grape vine in the middle of a lawn. In truth it is much more and part of what makes the love of woody
plants so strong and secure over the centuries. Compare this larger, dull matt green leaves to those of 'Traveller' below.

LAVENDER TWIST™ 'Covey' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. Winter 2005. The extreme downward rigidity of this uncompromising clone in full view.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis LAVENDER TWIST™ 'Covey'
ht: 5-6 ft. tall x 6-8 ft. wide
ha: stiffly weeping, some plants erect and others mounded and umbrella-like, branches often at
ha: unusual right angles in this bent. It needs some staking and training for the best effect.
fc: reddish-pink, not really a lavender at all
or: Miss Connie Covey, NY USA 1991
pat: US# 10328
in: Wayside Gardens

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Little Woody' (5/5)
ht: 6-10 ft. at maturity - original tree is 8 ft. tall x 10 ft. wide
ha: dwarf
lc: darker green
lt: thick blades described as "grarled" and "almost rubbery"
or: Don Shadow
pat: US PPAF
so: Landsteward.com (online catalog 2005)

Cercis canadensis 'LSS Dwarf Pink' (3/7)
ht: 6 ft. tall x 4 ft. wide (15 years)
ha: compact, slower, dwarf
fc: corolla pink (typical?)
eval: originatos believe this to be the first dwarf pink clone named.
so, or, in: www.lazyssfarm.com (online catalog 2007), their own intro. from Pete's mother's house.

subsp. mexicana - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2006. The corolla is quite dark and contrasty on these examples.

Cercis canadensis subsp. mexicana (var. mexicana (Rose) M. Hopkins)
ns, id: this subspecies is often lumped with subsp. texensis, an entity with glossier, darker, thicker
ns, id: and often undulate leaves. However there are forms of subsp. mexicana not similar to
ns, id: to the Texas taxon, suggesting we need to know more of this subspecies. In the meantime
ns, id: we wish to maintain them as distinct entities though doubtless overlapping in their
ns, id: range. See 'Sanderson' below for one variant that is different from ordinary subsp. texensis.
ns, id: recent work from Davis et. al (2002) confirms a case for 3 varieties or subspecies of C. canadensis,
ns, id: this one distinct from subsp. texensis.

[NCSU Upright] - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Winter 2005. The very first clear view of this new clone, showing some of the genus' future. We now
have genes for dwarf, weeping, and columnar form together with green, variegated, purple, and gold foliage; not to mention
flowers from white to light pink to medium pink and plum-rose. There are also showy red pods and extra cold hardiness
to add to the mix. The future of Cercis is big and and surely full of fun. LCH.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis [NCSU Upright] (2/5)
ha: columnar, erect, so far about 7 times taller than wide. Stayed tune.
lsp: JC Raulston Arboretum 2/2005
ns: this is a provisional, non-approved designation.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Northland' ('Northland Strain' invalid)
ch: more cold hardy, surviving in MN USA
prop: seed strain
or: Horticulture Farm, Univ. of MN, USA
ns, id: 'Columbus' is another strain from a nearby state.
li: Dirr, M.A. 1998. Man. Land. Plts. p. 210

'Oklahoma' - click image
US National Arboretum. April 2004. The bright red buds are simply wonderful. This is a true redbud in every sense of the common name.

'Oklahoma' - click images
Cameron Park, West Park Avenue, Raleigh NC. April 2006. At JC Raulston's wise suggestion in the 1980's, the City of Raleigh decided to plant better and
some very decent tree cultivars in the city's parks. Like most cities they unfortunately decided to neither water, prune, or fertilize the overpriced
contract-purchased trees and they ended up being everywhere from amazing to dead. As with most cities it was excitingly fashionable to assemble the finest
of experts, mine their advise, and then not follow up after the promo pieces are written.This example ended with the C. canadensis subp. canadensis
understock taking it over to about two-thirds of the canopy. What is a clear arboricultural disaster turned out to be a nice lesson for us. Note the difference
in the corolla color on the left side of the tree (first two photos) as well as the thickness and density of flowers of the scion 'Oklahoma' towards the right.
The third photo is all 'Oklahoma'. LCH.

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Oklahoma' (reniformis)
lc: dark green and very glossy - new growth can be reddish
lm: often slightly wavy
fc: darker pink to reddish purple in bud and uniform over surface, one of the richest, darkest colors
fc: seen in the genus. It is not "red flowered" as many catalogs claim. It is surely more plumy or purple than subsp. canadensis.
fq: blooms more densely packed than subsp. canadensis. See the photos above as proof.
bt: young plants are known to bloom earlier than typical
rai: Can replace species due to superior foliage and rich colors
or: seedling at Arbunkle Mts. in Murray Co. OK by Otis Warren & Son Nur.
or: of Oklahoma City OK in spring 1964
id, ns: Jacobsen (1996) places it as a hybrid without species affinity, noting it may be
id, ns: a cross of subsp. canadensis and subsp. texensis. In any event, it would still
id, ns: be under C. canadensis. Unless a different species is shown as a likely parent
id, ns: such nomenclatural status is unwarranted.
in: Otis Warren & Son Nur. of Oklahoma City OK in 1965 found in Arbuckle Mts., OK USA
rd: 12 Nov. 1964 by Otis Warren
so: Greer Gardens 1-800-548-0111
li: Wyman, D. 1966. More plant registrations. Arnoldia 26(3): 15.

'Pauline Lily' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2005. The pale corolla is quite noticable even without the species for comparison.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Pauline Lily' (9/00)
fc: corolla white blushed pink to very light pink, calyx a bright rose-magenta. It is bicolored when viewed very close.
fq: very floriferous
or: found in West Virginia USA before 1990
in: Harald Neubauer
so: Roslyn Nursery

Cercis canadensis 'Pendula'
ha: stiffly weeping
ns: is this just 'Covey' with using the TM and Patent? People said that would happen. The name is
ns: not supported by literature.
so: Forest Farm

'Pinkbud' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2005. A very bright, cheerful and clean shade of pink. It is truly very different. 'Tennessee Pink' is said to be similar.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Pinkbud'
fc: clean, clear but very bright pink - lacks those harsh lavender or strong magenta undertones.
or: found in Kansas City, MO c. 1961.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis f. alba 'Royal White' ('Royal'?)
ha: compact compared to f. alba which is often open like the species
fc: white
lb: wider than typical
bt: earlier than typical f. alba
fd: larger than typical f. alba
or: Royal Oakes of Bluffs IL as seedling from native tree before 1940
in: Louis Gerardi Nursery of O'Fallon IL in 1950
so: Roslyn Nur. in 1993 at 516-643-9347
li: Hebb, R.S. 1970. Notes from the Arnold Arboretum: plant registrations.
li: Arnoldia 30(6): 252

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Royalty'
ht: 25 ft.
lw: smaller
lc: dark and glossy green
fc: rose pink
ns: it has no association with 'Royal' or 'Royal White'
li: Lone Star Nursery 1986 Wholesale Cat.: 13

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Rubye Atkinson'
fc: paler or shell pink corolla, calyx a darker pink
no: said to be more heat tolerant
ch: 4
rai: can replace species for more harmonious flower color
or: Willis Nursery, Ottawa, KS USA in 1960's

'Sanderson' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. October 2003. A curious selection of a very interesting (even if less cold hardy) subspecies.
Some consider this a species while others feel it is just a more southerly extension of subsp. texensis. It is politically
complex that Mexican plants seem to always and forever be called subspecies of American species and not their own
unique identities. As they all seem to intergrade from very north to very south the subspecies ranks look good.
Leaves are decidely a light greyish-green, almost glaucous-appearing from a distance. The new growth (even this
late in the year) is pink as are the young twigs. It is not even fully cold hardy in Raleigh NC (USDA 7b) so it tends to
be a shrubby thing so far. It is never dark and glossy as 'Oklahoma' but is far glossier than subsp. canadensis clones.

Cercis canadensis subsp. mexicana 'Sanderson'
lsp: JC Raulston Arboretum accession 1994.

'Silver Cloud' - click image to enlarge
Georgia Botanical Garden, Athens, GA. Summer 2003.

'Silver Cloud' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. May 2005. A colorful display from a nice young 6 foot tall tree. Young trees full of new shoots give the best most lucious colors with lots of pink.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Silver Cloud'
lc: splashed and edged white. It is technically what is called a margino-maculata chimera ("margin spotted'). In hot sunny climates it is prune to
lc: both burning and fading, giving it a very short time of interest. On the edge of a dense woods will give it some limbs with the perfect balance of light.
tw: stems often mottled white as with foliage
gr: reduced
lu: best with partial shade to avoid leafscorch
fq: few or none
or: Theodore Klein of Yellow-Dell Nursery of Crestwood KY as seedling in 1964
or: The original seedlings can from TN
li: Hebb, R.S. 1970. Notes from the Arnold Arboretum: plant registrations.
li: Arnoldia 30(6): 253

'Tennessee Pink' - click imager
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2006. A very pretty clear shade of pink in the corolla portion. A good comparison of this with 'Pinkbud' and other
"clear pink", less purplish clones is in order.

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Tennessee Pink'
fc: clear clean pink - no blue or purple tints
id: unclear how it differs from others with a similar claim
or: Harold Newbauer
so: Roslyn Nur. 516-643-9347

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis ['Tennessee Pink' variegated clone] (8/5)
lsp: JC Raulston Arboretum, Bed W14, received there 3/1/2003.

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Texas Star' (mexicana)
ht: 25 ft.
fc: rose pink
lc: dark and glossy green
lu: more adapted to warm climates than cultivars of subsp. canadensis
li: Lone Star Nursery 1986 Wholesale Cat.: 13

subsp. texensis 'Texas White' - click image
Sarah Duke Gardens, Duke University, Durham, NC. July 2005. Like the better known 'Oklahoma', this white-flowered plant has
thicker, glossier, and more undulate leaves than subsp. canadensis f. alba and 'Dwarf White'. I believe it's a shade or two paler
greener than 'Oklahoma' in leaf - which would not be surprising for something with little anthocyanin vs. one with an extra dose of it. This is
is not an easy plant to find at Duke - it is in the edge of the woods adjacent to the rose circle. One has to walk behind the border and stone
walls to get to it.

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Texas White' (reniformis 'Alba')
fc: white
ls, lc: as subspecies, particularly a glossy leaf
rai: better than subsp. canadensis f. alba in warm climates
or: Germany Nursery, Fort Worth, UX USA c. 1970 as seedling, perhaps as early as 1967.
id: some plants under this name are ordinary subsp. canadensis f. alba.

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis (Cercis reniformis)
lw: smaller than subsp. canadensis
lc: blades distinctly darker green and glossier than the subsp. canadensis, doubtless an adaption for
lc: very hot climates
lt: blades thicker than subsp. canadensis
geo: known from Texas
so: Woodlander's
ch: USDA 8

Cercis canadensis subsp. canadensis 'Tom Thumb' (2/5)
lsp, so: JC Raulston Arboretum received 2/9/2005 from Shadow Nursery, TN USA

'Traveller' - click image to enlarge

'Traveller' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring and summer 2002.

subsp. texensis 'Traveller' - click image to enlarge
Atlanta Botanical Garden. Summer 2003. The cultivar name made no sense until I saw this plant and a few others since. Allowed
to be itself, this clone will literally travel by prostrate, running limbs along the ground. It is one of those weepers that would
be happy to be a trailer if not for a tall, stiff post on which to begin life. A mass of very low-grafted trees (profusely flowering in spring)
would be quite a sight to dazzle the expert and confuse the public. A redbud vine or groundcover. How curious that might be. LCH.

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Traveller'
ht: 6 ft. tall x 5-12 ft. wide
ha: weeping, broadly mounded to arching-spreading, suitable for small gardens. It will trail long shoots along the ground if untrimmed.
lc: glossy dark green as the subspecies, quite shinier than LAVENDER TWIST™. New growth
lc: reddish but particularly unique.
fc: rose-pink
lu: it is superior to LAVENDER TWIST™ in the southern US due to the uniform, mounded form,
lu: and more appealing glossy leaf. However, in the north this subsp. is not always hardy nor adaptable.
or: Dan Hosage Jr., Madrone Nursery, San Marcos TX USA

Cercis canadensis subsp. texensis 'Wither's Pink Charm' ('PInk Charm')
fc: clear, clean pink much
prop: more difficult to graft, thus more rare than 'Pinkbud' which is quite manageable
or: found at Mt. Solon, VA 1943
ns: named for D.D. Wither
in: Kingsville Nursery, MD USA c. 1950

chinensis - click images
JC Raulston Arboretum. March 2005. A very early-flowering plant but a tad behind C. glabra in that same garden. This example is trained in tree form whereas
98% of all Chinese redbuds in Raleigh (and most southeastern cities) are multi-trunked, vase-like shrubs.

C. aff. chinensis - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. July 2005. This newly plant tree is to the right of parking lot entrance gate. There are three things remarkable about this
plant: 1) huge leaves of 8-10 in. long at the largest, 2) showy red primary and secondary veins above and below - a nice thing for breeders to work on,
3) glaucescent grayish-silver coating below. The foliage is larger though perhaps not as glossy as some C. gigantea. I wonder if this might not be
associated with the so-called Arborescent Chinese Redbud usually called 'Arborea'. It is usually single-trunked, more vigorous, and larger in all parts.
However, that taxon was named and defined before other Chinese species were named or well known.

Cercis chinensis f. alba S.C. Hsu (f. leucantha J. Sugumoto, 'Alba' hort. in part)
fc: corolla white
id, ns: the garden clone of this color is sold as 'Shirobana'. This name applies to the wild form as a whole.
li: Hsu, S.C. 1966. Acta Phytotax. Sin. 1(2): 192
li: Sugimoto, J. 1977. J. Geobot. 24(3): 62

Cercis chinensis 'Arborea'
ht: 30-50 ft. - much taller - typical "shrubby" species in the southeastern US tops off at 15 feet after 25-35 years.
ha: larger, more arborescent
or: large, tree-like forms are known in the wild
in: W.B. Clarke, CA USA c. 1930's

Cercis chinensis 'Avondale'
ha: smaller, shrubby, suitable for smaller properties and spaces
fc: dark purplish pink - darker than typical
fq: very abundant and clustered on stems of even small plants
or: Duncan & Davies of NZ is the first source into the US c. 1985

'Don Egolf' - click image to enlarge

Cercis chinensis 'Don Egolf'
ha: dwarf, compact, vase-shaped (typical), slower growing than species typical
fc: bright purplish pink, almost a neon pink shade
fq: more densely floriferous with flowers numerous along the stems rather than sparsely clustered as
fq: in larger, common species examples.
frq: seed sterile or fruitless
dr: Botryosphaeria canker resistant, a problem with the species in some regions.
prop: roots readily from cuttings - eliminating cost of grafting in commercial production.
or: raised from Chinese collected seed at the National Arboretum c. 1984 received as C. chingii. Taxonomist
or: Ted Dudley determined the seedlot was C. chinensis rather than C. chingii. It is named for Dr. Donald
or: Egolf, surely our century's greatest woody plant breeder and long time staff member of the National Arb.
lsp: I've been to the USNA half a dozen times since this plant was officially introduced by the Arb. in 2001 and never
lsp: could find one. One trip was an exhaustive, four day thorough walk of the entire property from gate to shining gate.
lsp: In June 2005 I checked the Plant Finder kiosk in the Admin building lobby and it was not listed. I implored the truly
lsp: helpful Help Desk lady for help. I was delighted that she was as careful about getting me an answer as Gene Eisenbeiss,
lsp: Skip March, and Ted Dudley had been 20 years before when I came calling to study Junipers - though I must admit that having
lsp: genius plantsman Dr. JC Raulston and famed woody plant taxonomist Dr. James Hardin on my juniper team certainly helped
lsp: a pimply, shy grad student get doors open. Anyhow, Help Desk Lady checked the website for 'Don Egolf' and found no clues
lsp: there about a location. Finally a curator was summoned to check the latest inventory printout. There were just little plants in the greenhouse
lsp: and nothing on the actual grounds - apparently space for a 4 foot wide dwarf tree is a problem with just 425 acres to work with!
lsp: They're building a new garden (2005) for flowering trees and one hopes they will do better in years to come. Yet it's
lsp: an frustrating, completely inscrutable level of incompetance and indifference that only federal facilities can master.
lsp: "Let's market and promote the next miracle redbud, send out press releases, plants, create PDF files, and then pat our
lsp: ourselves on the back after filling out wonderful research accomplishment reports....and then not plant one tree anywhere
lsp: for interested people to actually see". Consider the hideous state of Don's collections on the the ground today
lsp: (and the lack of labels for any hint of educational value) and it's not surprising this honor to him is not actually a real,
lsp: tangible honor.
ch: USDA 6
web: fona.org

'Nana' provisional name - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. June 2005. A young plant on the right side of the parking lot gate.

Cercis chinensis 'Nana' provisional name
ha: dwarf
ns: name is almost certainly invalid in Latin form. JC Raulston is known to have raised
ns: genetic dwarf redbuds, possibly from his own collections and seed sought from around the world.
ns: if memory serves, he did have a dwarf seedling he grew himself in the 80's. It should be noted that 'Don Egolf' is one dwarf
ns: seedling he did have on trial and it was unnamed by the USDA at that time (mid to late 1980's)
lsp: plant known from the JC Raulston Arboretum, planted 2004

Cercis chinensis 'Pink Charm'
so: sold by Piroche Plants, BC Canada 1993
ns: unless this is a misassignment of species, the name is invalid. 'Pink Charm' has been in use for a
ns: C. canadensis clone (now called 'Wither's PInk Charm') for decades.

Cercis chinensis f. rosea S.C. Hsu = species typical = f. chinensis
fc: corolla pink
id, ns: this variety apparently only serves to contrast to Hsu's f. alba and may be regarded as synonym of the species.
li: Hsu, S.C. 1966. Acta Phytotax. Sin. 1(2): 193

Cercis chinensis f. pubescens C.F. Wei
lv: more heavily pubescent, at least when young
li: Wei, C.F. 1983. Guihaia 3(1): 15

'Shirobana' - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2004.

Cercis chinensis 'Shirobana'
ns: this may be a synonym of f. alba and could be the correct name for it as a garden clone. It is certainly a good clone and floriferous
ns: white clone so for the time being it is kept apart.

Cercis chinensis x C. canadensis
ns: Don Egolf raised this cross at the USNA. Dirr reports them as large shrubs with two-toned flowers. It has not be introduced (2005).

Cercis chingii - click image to enlarge
Asian Collections, US National Arboretum. 13 April 2003.

Cercis chingii - click image to enlarge
Asian Collections, US National Arboretum. April 2004. This tree is in the lower part of the valley while the photo above is a plant
near the roadway above the valley.

Cercis chingii - click image to enlarge
Asian Collections, US National Arboretum. June 2005. This is a third example, I believe not far from the plant shown above from April 2004.

Cercis chingii (dwarf selection)
ns: plants under this provisional name from the National Arb. are in one clone C. chinensis 'Don Egolf'

Cercis chuniana - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2005. A very bright harsh magenta on a broken down multi-stemmed shrub. It has some aspects of C. glabra in the same garden
but not the upright charm. It is hard to judge a species on just one example so we'd suggest it be given more of a try. In 2005, the JCRA gardens show two old,
somewhat unkempt plants, this one in midst of the Berberis collection (near Magnolias) and another one in the old redbud collection area in the West Arboretum.
One cannot be impressed with either in terms of habit or the shade of corolla pigmentation.

Cercis chuniana Metcalf
ht: 6-27m
ha: large tree
st: reddish twigs become grayish-brown to reddish-brown, lenticels numerous
ls: rhomboid-ovate, not as cordiform as most species, often a lop-sided or asymmetrical ovate blade
lv: distinctly white farinose below, often appearing glaucescent from a distance
lb: asymmetrical, rotund to truncate, rarely cordate as most other species
la: long acuminate
infl: raceme, 3-5cm long, 3-10 flowers each
frt: pod with small sharp 2-3mm beak, winged to 1mm

Cercis funiushanensis S.Y. Wang & T.B. Chao
ns, id: this relatively new and rare Chinese species is not well defined in available literature. It is
ns, id: thought to be a minor variant of of C. chinensis or a very closely related species.
li: Wang, S.Y. and T.B. Chao. 1980. J. Henan Agri. Coll 1980(2): 8

C. gigantea - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. Spring 2003. These are very large flowers, comparable only to C. siliquastrum in my experience.

C. aff. gigantea - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. A different tree than the one above.

C. gigantea - click image
Asian Valley, US National Arboretum. June 2005. This example had darker, wider, and slightly glossier foliage than C. glabra grown nearby.
These plants derive from Dr. JC Raulston, possibly from his seedlings via seed of Shanghai Bot. Gard. Dr. Raulston had this species from
a number of sources but based on the 1992 donation date and the "China" origin in the USDA/GRIN database we think this must be from
his Shanghai seedlot.

Same plants as above in USNA's Asian Valley but a larger branch and from Spring 2006. Note the dark, very glossy blades with the same sunken vein
surface. The more sharp acuminate apex of some leaves is more apparent in these larger blades. Huge leaf (7-10 inches without petiole), dark, textured veins
above, and very lustrous finish makes this species stand out.

Cercis gigantea Cheng
ha: upright-arching, vigorous, similar to a stronger C. chinensis at times and blooming at the same time but less narrow or shrubby. If the original
ha: descriptions can be believed it is more arborescent sort of plant.
fc: rich magenta-pink
lc: medium to dark green, often moderately glossy, never so glossy as C. canadensis subsp. texensis but much more so than C. chinensis
lc: C. glabra.
ll, lw: blades 5-9 in. long and wider - larger than most Asian species
ch: USDA 7-8 - thus not yet as useful as C. canadensis for most climates.
bt: based on our observations at the Raulston Arboretum it reaches peak about 7 days after C. glabra and at
bt: same time as most C. chinensis and C. canadensis.
ch: USDA 7

C. glabra - click image to enlarge
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2004. Not only does this species bloom a full week before any other shrubby redbud it is floriferous for a
a full three weeks. It shot this tree on three successive weekends and each one got progressively better and more colorful, requiring me to disgard
the previous week's images.

Cercis glabra (labeled C. yunnanensis) - click image to enlarge
Raulston Arboretum, Spring 2003. As this is the only representative of the species in the collection under the name C. yunnanensis.

C. glabra - click image
Asian Valley, US National Arboretum. June 2005. This plant traces to Xian Botanic Garden, China.

C. glabra (labelled C. yunnanensis) - click image
Asian Valley, US National Arboretum. June 2005. This tree was labeled as C. yunnanensis which is considered a synonym of C. glabra though perhaps
not identical all garden examples of it.

Cercis glabra (C. yunnanensis)
ht: 6-16m tall
ha: small tree to large shrub

lc: judging from Raulston and USNA plants they leaves are lighter green and less glossy than C. gigantea in addition to being smaller
eval: This rare species resembles C. chinensis in the possible multi-stemmned, shrubby habit and densely held magenta
eval: flowers. It differs in being a full 7-10 days earlier as seen here in the Raulston Arboretum collection of Cercis.
eval: It is the first taxon to bloom there in most years. The budding plant to the back-right is C. chinensis
eval: 'Shirobana'. It bloomed at 3/21/03 and still looked good 3/28/03 when all the other taxa were near peak or
eval: just beginning with a few open flowers.
id: Charles Davis et. al (2002) found that C. glabra was in the same clade as C. chinensis at 89% similarity.

Cercis glabra 'Celestial Plum' (C. yunnanensis 'Celestial Plum')
fc: corolla rich purplish-pink
id: This clone may be lost. If anyone knows of a plant distributed by Dr. Raulston under this name please write us.
id: As of Fall 2004, Assistant Director of the Raulston Arboretum Todd Lasseigne told your editor he could not
id: identify any known plant as belonging to the name 'Celestial Plum'. An old JCRA newsletter (then NC State University Arboretum)
id: mentions the original tree was near the ring of Leyland cypress in the west arboretum. That ring was removed
id: prior to construction of the new buildings when most of the Cercis collection was removed. Curiously, the above
id: photographed of C. glabra is almost exactly in that same location and was apparently not affected by the construction.
id: Did JC read that C. yunnanensis was correctly called C. glabra by Chinese botanists and relabeled it, the cultisvar
id: epithet somehow lost in subsequent relabeling? Not likely under his administration. But if records got confused following
id: his passing and the new administration, there is some possibility. In any event, the overshaded tree adjacent to the Zen
id: Garden is the only C. yunnanensis still labeled in 2005.
or: JC Raulston selected from seedlings c. 1985

Cercis griffithii
ha: shrub to small tree
ls: cordiform
fc: corolla lilaca-mauve to magenta-pink
geo: Afghanistan to Iran
ns, id: a very rare species that has been in the western since at least the 1980's. It is now commonly offered in seed
ns, id: form but I know of no seedling sources in the US (5/2006). It reminds most people of C. siliquastrum and might well
ns, id: prove to be an eastern variant from it.

Cercis liangkwangensis Chun
ht: 35 ft. tall
bk: smooth, gray
st: twigs purplish-green
lc: light glossy green
ls: ovate, often asymmetrical
lb: obtuse to subcordate, not cordate
lv: glaucescent, whiter below
frc: purlish
ns, id: the above description is based on the notes and my observations on a sheet in the NYBG Virtual Herbarium page. The non-cordiform leaf
ns, id: certainly suggests this may be an alternate spelling of C. likiangensis which is now considered a synonym of C. chuniana.
ns, id: I see the similarity in the two plants (not cordate, white below) but this species is described as "glaucscent" below
ns, id: instead of "white farinose" as in true C. chuniana. Perhaps this is just an error of description from dried vouchers?
ns, id: For the time being, I believe the above description should be kept intact for research purposes, especially if living
ns, id: plants turn up in collections.

Cercis occidentalis = C. orbiculata

Cercis orbiculata Greene (C. occidentalis, C. occidentalis var. orbiculata (Greene) Tidestr., C. canadensis f. orbicualata (Greene) Barnaby)
ht: 20-35 ft. tall - commonly 15-18 ft. tall in gardens, sometimes seen as a shrub of 7-10 ft.
ha: shrubby, multi-stemmed, often as wide as tall or wider, frequently subglobose. Can be grown as a standard with one trunk in nurseries.
ls: cordiform, suborbicular, much like C. siliquastrum overall. The blade is rounder and more notched than C. canadensis. 7-9 major veins.
ll, lw: 2-3, sometimes 5 in. wide
lc: bright bluish-green, sometimes compared to metallic or shiny jade - C. siliquastrum is much greener and darker
la: notched
fc: corolla rose pink, reddish-purple to magenta pink
fd: 0.5 in. long
bt: Jacobson (1996) notes that is rebloom a bit in fall in areas such as Seattle WA.
afc: yellow shades possible - not always or generally showy
frd: pods 2-4 in. lng
geo: OR to CA, AZ, NV, UT
in: cultivated since 1886
ns: this species is mostly widely seen and sold as C. occidentalis. We now following the USDA in the use of this name.
id: W.J. Bean says it allied to C. reniformis S. Watson, a taxon know called C. canadensis subsp. texensis. That is
id: perhaps one of Bean's more unbelievable statements (and there are VERY few). That Texas plant has leaves very
id: dark, glossy, and undulate compared to C. orbiculata. It would be hard to confuse them from typical examples.
ch: USDA 7

Cercis orbiculata 'Alba' (C. occidentalis 'Alba')
fc: corolla white
ns: Latin name here may post-date 1959.
so: Forest Farm

Cercis occidentalis 'Claremont' = C. racemosa 'Claremont'

Cercis racemosa
ht: 30-40 ft. tall
ha: arborescent, tree form
st: twigs downy pubescent at first
ll, lw: 2.5-5.0 in. wide and long
lv: glabrous above, pale downy pubescent below, later pubescent only on the veins below
lc: darker green above, paler below
infl: racemes to 4 in. long, up to 30-40 flowers each, sometimes as few as 10-25 flowers
fd: flowers 0.5 in. wide
fc: corolla rose-pink, often with silvery or odd tints that make it less than clear and lovely.
geo: China, notably found in Hupeh and Szechwan
in: Henry found 1886, introduced by Wilson 1907
id: the long racemes and very downy parts make this species very distinct.
ch: USDA 7 - best in warmer climates

Cercis racemosa 'Claremont' (C. occidentalis 'Claremont')
fc: rich magenta-pink, a more colorful clone
fq: more floriferous
or: Rancho Santa Ana Bot. Gard, Claremont, CA USA 1980's or before
prop: roots well from cuttings

siliquastrum - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. April 2005. Much larger flowers than our native C. canadensis.

Cercis siliquastrum
ht: 20-25 ft. tall if shrubby, 25-40 ft. if tree-formed. Kew had a 40 foot tree with 4' 9" trunk. A tree in France has reached 65 feet.
ha: tree-like but often shrubby, variable in gardens.
tw: generally glabrous
ls: broadly suborbicular and cordiform
la: broadly obtuse, never notched as C. occidentalis nor as clearly acute as C. canadensis
ll, lw: 2.5-4.0 in. wide and long
lc: medium matt green, sometimes slightly bluish-green (glaucous) but not so bold a blue as C. occidentalis
fc: purplish-pink
infl: 3-6 per infl.
fd: 0.75 in. long - typically larger than C. canadensis and many species which average 0.5 in. long
ns, id: plants sold in CA USA under this name may be their native C. occidentalis
in: grown in Europe since 1700's and probably much before. Introduced to CA USA c. 1854.
ch: less hardy than C. canadensis and thus not a big hit in northeastern US.
geo: Europe to Near East
ch; USDA 6-7

Cercis siliquastrum 'Afghan Deep Purple' (2/01)
fc: deep purple
so: selected from seed collected in Afghanistan
ch: likely more cold hardy than southern European seed sources
in: Arrowhead Alpines 2001
so: Arrowhead Alpines

Cercis siliquastrum f. alba (West.) Rehd ('Alba', 'Album', 'Albidum')
fc: corolla white, calyx light green to yellowish-green
or: known in Europe since 1600's. It is almost certainly a wild entity as are most white-flowered forms
or: of common woodland trees.

Cercis siliquastrum 'Bodnant'
fc: corolla very deep rose purple by literature but as seen by us it is slightly richer purplish-pink at best.
fd: very large, much larger diameter than any C. canadensis cultivar
aw: RHS FCC 1944
or: Bodnant Gardens, England c. 1876

Cercis siliquastrum 'Carnea'
fc: corolla a lighter, flesh-colored pink
id, ns: while this name is not associated with him, Miller reported a flesh-flowered form of the species.

Cercis siliquastrum subsp. hebecarpa (C. hebecarpa)
ns, id: a very rare variant. It has crossed to the typical subsp. to become nothosubsp. yaltirkii

Cercis siliquastrum 'Penduliflora'
ft: pedicels longer giving a drooping flower effect

Cercis siliquastrum 'Sinense'
ha: said to be more vigorous than species typical. If it comes from China it is surely assignable to another species.

Cercis siliquastrum 'Variegata' ('Variegated'?)
lc: marbled white, grey, and green
or: Barron Nursery, England c. 1875

Cercis siliquastrum nothosubsp. yaltirkii (subsp. siliquastrum x subsp. hebecarpa)

CHART OF CHINESE SPECIES OF CERCIS Based on observations from Raulston and US National Arboretum collections and data from the 2006 draft of the Flora of China. This chart excludes the very poorly understood species C. gigantea and C. funiushanensis. I general, C. gigantea is easily to distinquish in collections due to the very large flowers (to 2cm long) and blades easily 5-7 inches wide. There are also large-leaved plants of C. chinesis in collections so part size alone will not prove sufficient to distinguish all other species from C. gigantea.
CHARACTER STATE	C. chinensis	C. chingii	C. chuniana	C. racemosa	C. glabra
Habit/Height	shrub to tree, often a vase-shaped plant in the west with numerous trunks,	shrub to small tree, outer limbs often wide-spreading to semi-pendulous	large tree of 5-25m	medium tree, 8-15m	medium tree, 6-16m
Inflorescence	None, flowers merely clustered with no central axis	None, flowers merely clustered with no central axis. Often densely clustered on stems	Raceme, 3-5cm long, 3-10 flowers each	Raceme, large at 2-10cm long, often pendulous if large, often 20+ flowers	Raceme, short at 1-2cm long, rarely pendulous, 3-10 flowers
Leaf shape	cordiform, suborbicular to triagular-orbicular	cordiform, reniform to ovate-orbicular	rhomboid to ovate, rarely if ever classic cordiform as most of the genus, often asymmetrical	cordiform, ovate-orbicular, mostly symmetrical	cordiform, triangular-orbicular, mostly symmetrical
Leaf base	shallowly to deeply cordate	cordate to truncate	lop-sided, truncate to obtuse, very rarely cordate	truncate to shallow cordate	shallow to deeply cordate
Leaf surface below	pubescent on veins below only, except in f. pubescens	finely pubescent on major veins below	distinctly white farinose, often very brightly so	finely pubescent below, often densely so on veins	glabrous to slightly pubescent near vein axils, never densely hairy on veins
Fruit alations (wings)	winged, 1.5mm wide	none	very small, 1mm or less	winged, 2.0-2.5mm wide	winged, 2.0cm wide
Fruit beak	slender and curved	very large, 8 x 2mm	sharp, small, 2-3mm	large, 5mm	acuminate
Fruit base shape				attentuate	subobtuse (mostly rounded)
Fruit sutures	dorsal and ventral nearly equal			dorsal and ventral nearly equal	dorsal suture slighter longer than ventral
Fruit valves	straight	often twisted
ID STEPS: 1) Determine if flower is in a raceme with a distinct central axis. If so, limit yourself to the three species on the right in pink. Otherwise look at two species on the left in white. 2) Examine leaf base, surface below, fruit alations, beak, and sutures to determine closest species. The descriptions and measurements here are presented to maximum contrast value.