NLI’s Legacy Tree Program announces the May Tree of the Month is an Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), that grows in the backyard of a private Rockford, IL, residence, the home of John and Kaylene Groh. This featured Redbud is 44 feet tall, with an average crown spread of 30 feet; the largest of three trunks is 35” in circumference. It was nominated by John Groh, who thought it might be the oldest Redbud in the area. While not the largest in the State (there is another Eastern Redbud on the Illinois Big Tree Register that scores higher), it is remarkably big and tall for a Redbud.
“It was Doug Edwards at Tree Care Enterprises, who told me he thinks it’s likely the oldest redbud in the area,” said Groh. “Doug and John’s (Richards) staff have cared for the trees at our house for what I presume to be decades. The home was built in 1973 for the family of Larry and Judy Larson. He was a prominent local architect and the co-founder of the local firm Larson & Darby. We purchased the home from the Larsons in 2015. Their son, Peter, told me that the redbud was the second tree the family planted after they moved in, so I’d estimate that it is now 52 years old. In the notes from Larry to his staff about designing the home, he wrote that care should be taken to place the foundation in such a way, as to minimize the impact on the trees of the property. So, while that doesn’t pertain to this tree, I think it speaks to how much the family loved the trees on the property. We have nearly two dozen mature oaks on or adjacent to our property. When we moved in, he advised that I start a sinking fund to care for the trees, and he was not wrong.”
“You’ll see that the tree has three stems, and to help maintain/extend its life, we’ve had to reinforce the tree with cabling,” said Groh. “And, this tree is a prolific seeder. I think there must be redbuds all over the neighborhood. Every year I feel badly when I have to pull up the shoots of new trees. However, we have eight mature redbuds in front or back of our house. I’m certain that all of them were planted by nature from this one tree. I notice other trees in the yards or on the property of our neighbors and wonder if they come from our tree.”
Eastern Redbud is one of our beloved small and understory spring-flowering trees: bursting forth with vivid “raspberry sherbet” colored flowers, so not “red” in bud whatsoever (purple bud?) The flowers emerge from naked stems, often on tufts along the trunk as well–providing a colorful tracery of the tree’s sculptural form. The leaves begin to emerge as the flowers fade. They are heart-shaped and quite lovely through our growing season. Fall color is yellowish to pure yellow, with better color on warm, dry falls like last year.
Flowers of redbud are edible and can be added to salads for a pea-like flavor. They are in the pea family and produce flat pods of tiny seeds that ripen brown and can hang on the tree into winter. These papery pea pods can blow around in the wind and disperse the seeds.
“The tree is a poster child for climate change (https://www.naturalland.org/climate-2/climate-change-impacts/),” said Alan Branhagen, Executive Director of Natural Land Institute (NLI.) As our climate has warmed this tree, formerly native just to our south, it has rapidly expanded into our region and has naturalized on the edges of woodlands, where it is a sort of pioneer species. The flowers are rich in pollen and nectar and a great spring feast for native pollinating insects.”
A legume, it enriches the soil. It is also a relatively short-lived tree, thriving about as long as humans do. Older trees’ trunks often start to lean. The tree actually can be restarted from new sprouts at the base by removing the old trunks. Sometimes old trees can have trunks that lie on the ground with branches swirling upward – living sculptures, for sure, and no two alike. The bark also gets shaggier with age and can show rusty patches of inner bark which is quite interesting.
The tree is very sensitive to many herbicides. So, it is a great “canary in the mineshaft” warning of pesticide misuse in an area. If you see leaves with twisted edges or leaf tips, it is, because of herbicide drift.