How to identify Chinese redbud (Cercis chinensis)
Chinese redbud is characterized by its multi-stemmed shrub formation and distinctive heart-shaped leaves that are known for their 5-palmate vein pattern, exhibiting entire margins with a reticulate texture. Upon close inspection, one can observe the plant's pea-like flowers, which appear in abundant clusters along the twigs and older wood, signifying an older plant's capacity to continuously bloom. Post-flowering, the species produces flat 'bean' like pods, akin to those of leguminous plants, that serve as a key identification feature.
Lifespan: Perennial
Plant Type: Tree, Shrub
Leaf Type: Deciduous
Heart-shaped leaves with 5-palmate veins and reticulate texture.
Pea-like flowers in clusters on old wood, transitioning to 'bean' pods post-flowering.
Rozy to purple flowers, pea-like, clustered on old wood with cauliflory.
Pendulous leguminous pods, 5 inches (13 cm) long, rich brown and retained in winter.
Slender, glabrous stems with zigzag pattern, dark reddish-brown to black coloration.
The leaves of chinese redbud are alternate and simple, measuring 3 to 5 inches (7.6 to 12.7 cm) long. They are heart-shaped (cordate) and have a leathery, lustrous texture with a dark green color. The leaves exhibit five prominent palmate veins, contributing to their broad, cordate form with an acute apex and entire margin, making them distinctive and identifiable.
Chinese redbud produces rosy to purple flowers that bloom in tight clusters on old wood for 2-3 weeks in early spring. The flowers are pea-like in shape, measuring approximately 0.5 to 0.75 inches (1.3 to 1.9 cm) in size. These blossoms can also appear in white and are often clustered either fascicled or racemous, often emerging directly from the trunk or large branches, a trait known as cauliflory.
The stem of chinese redbud is slender and glabrous, exhibiting a dark reddish-brown to black coloration. It features a distinctive zigzag pattern and shows a spreading as well as ascending growth habit. The stems are densely branched and often multi-stemmed, adding to the plant's bushy appearance. This combination of thin, smooth stems with their specific coloring and branching pattern makes the chinese redbud easily identifiable among other plants in its habitat.
The fruit of chinese redbud manifests as a pendulous leguminous pod around 5 inches (13 cm) in length that materializes in the fall. Upon maturity, these elongated pods exhibit a rich brown hue, with a wood-like texture and slight sheen making them noticeable. Each pod encases several seeds, arranged in a single row, which are released when the pod dehisces, or splits open, along a seam. The conspicuous pods are often retained on the branches throughout winter, adding to chinese redbud's distinctive visual character in the landscape.
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Scientific Classification of Chinese redbud
