Cercis canadensis Heart of Gold - Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis 'Heart of Gold', is a variety of Judas tree that is truly unique. From spring to autumn, it amazes at every stage of its growth. In spring, the fresh pink to purple of its flowering announces spring by covering the still naked branches. Then, throughout the season, its heart-shaped foliage displays successively red, then golden yellow, and finally chartreuse colors in summer. In winter, the fallen leaves reveal its twisted branches under a dark bark.

Cercis canadensis 'Heart of Gold' belongs to the family Fabaceae or Papilionaceae. The type species is native to the eastern and central United States. It grows quite slowly and its mature size will not exceed 4.50 m (14 to 10 ft) in height and width. It is a small tree with a rounded habit, as wide as it is tall. The flowers appear before the leaves, in March-April, directly on the branches, even those that are only one year old. They are pea-like flowers, lavender-pink to purple, in a very fresh shade. The fruits, in the form of flattened pods, are rarely present on this variety. The foliage emerges red, then intensively turns golden yellow, and with maturity changes to chartreuse green in summer, with shaded leaves being more distinctly green. They are heart-shaped, rounded, quite thick, and glabrous. The branches of old specimens branch towards the ground. Its bark is dark in color.

This Canadian redbud or Judas tree has a fairly wide cultural ecology, it accepts any type of soil as long as it is deep and not too dry. It can be planted individually or used to shade a mass of heathers, camellias, and pieris in acidic soil. In neutral or limestone, well-drained soil, for example, use it in a mixed hedge, accompanied by Montpellier maple, smoke tree, and winged spindle tree to create a dazzling grove from September to November.