Cercis canadensis

The eastern redbud is in the pea or Fabaceae family and is common from southern Ontario to northern Florida, but can thrive as far west as California. A small woodland understory tree, it differs from the Judas tree (C. siliquastrum) in its slightly pointed leaves and smaller size of tree (rarely over 12 m tall).

• Leaves are alternate, simple, untoothed, and heart shaped, 7–12 cm long and wide, not folded in the middle (unlike C. siliquastrum).
• The cultivar 'Forest Pansy' has purple leaves.
• Bud clusters on the branches and even stems develop into many attractive magenta pink flowers about 1.5 cm long in spring.
• Fruit are flattened, brown pods, 6–10 cm long containing flat, elliptical seeds (although some varieties of eastern redbud do not produce seeds).
• Twigs are slender and zigzag; buds in winter are oblong, pointed, singular or in small clusters.