Carolina Sweetheart Cercis canadensis Carolina Sweetheart™ 'NCCC1'
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- SER-sis kan-ah-DEN-sis
- Description
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Carolina Sweetheart™ redbud is a deciduous, often multi-trunked, understory tree in the Fabaceae (bean) family. It has a rounded crown and typically matures to 20 to 30 feet tall with a slightly larger spread. This cultivar was developed as a collaborative project by NC State University and Star Roses and Plants Nursery. The parent plant is native to eastern and central North America, from North Carolina to east Mexico. The genus name Cercis comes from the Greek word kerkis, which means weaver's shuffle, referring to the fact that the seed pod resembles the size and shape of a weaver’s shuttle used to move thread back and forth on a loom.
Like other redbuds, Carolina Sweetheart is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. It performs best in moderately fertile soils with regular and consistent moisture, and partial shade is best in hot summer climates. Avoid wet or poorly drained soils. Because this tree does not transplant well, it should be planted when young and left undisturbed.
A carnival of color in early summer as new leaves emerge, Carolina Sweetheart redbud starts out with pink flowers in early spring. Then the new leaves emerge purple, but over time, they gain various shades of white, green, and hot pink. Eventually, the leaves turn green in the summer.
Site this plant as a specimen or small flowering tree in the garden or woodlands. It is especially suited to a pollinator or winter garden. Redbuds, along with Dogwoods, grow on woodland edges and bring a welcome vibrancy of color in very early spring before other trees have leafed out.
U.S. Plant Patent Applied for (PPAF).
Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: Insect pests include Japanese beetles, treehoppers, leafhoppers, caterpillars, borers, webworms, and scale. Canker can be a significant disease problem. Verticillium wilt, dieback, leaf spots, mildew, and blights may also occur. Keeping the tree vigorous by regular watering and fertilization and by pruning out dead branches as needed will help keep the tree healthy. Whitetail deer browse the foliage and can damage the tree by eating the bark.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cercis
- Species:
- canadensis
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Native American tribes made the bark into a medicinal tea and took cold infusions of the roots & inner bark to treat fever and congestion. In the winter, it was valuable firewood. Because it is one of the first plants to flower, the flowering branches were brought into homes to “drive the winter out”. People in the Appalachian Mountains used young stems to season venison. Children were fond of eating the flowers, which taste pea-like.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- The blossoms provide nectar for honey bees, butterflies, and other insects. Once pollinated, leguminous pods form with seeds that are eaten by many birds, including bobwhite quail. It is a host plant for the Henry Elfin's butterfly. Members of the genus Cercis support the following specialized bee: Habropoda laboriosa.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Multi-trunked
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Summer brings 2-3 inch flattened, leguminous, bean-like, brown pods in clusters, each pod containing 6 – 12 seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Lipped
- Flower Petals:
- asymmetrical petals
- fused petals
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The Eastern redbud is most well known for its stunning pea-like rose-lavender flowers, which bloom profusely in very early spring, on bare branches. Flowers (to ½” wide) are borne in clusters of 4-10, primarily on older branches.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Variegated
- White
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, simple, cordate (heart-shaped) leaves, broadly ovate to nearly circular with a long, slender petiole. In the Carolina SweetheartTM, the leaves are a riot of color, starting out purple, but changing to shades of white, green and hot pink, and eventually turning green in summer.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Small Space
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Small Tree
- Specimen
- Understory Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
