What is this beautiful tree?

[BlueRidgeMark]

These grow abundantly in my area, and I'd like to have a few on my property. Can anyone tell me what they are? (Pics are clickable - will open a larger image in a new window.)

 

[treeseer]

Cercis canadensis. Small ones are easily moved, if there is one in the shade in the woods you should rescue it this fall and get it in a sunny place. Otherwise, eastern redbuds are very common, both species and cultivars.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

So this is a redbud variety?

I've got a good sunny location in mind. Some lousy (and probably dying) pines are coming down soon...

 

[sawinredneck]

Yep, Redbud. I have one right out my back window and love to look out at it in the spring! You are correct, they are beautiful trees!! Keep it kind of thin at the base, seem to weaken if too much weight is allowed around the base latter! Maybe it's just a Kansas thing? I am sure (hopefully) someone with more knowledge will explain this better.
Andy

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Well, armed with the Latin name I've found a lot of info. Thank you, treeseer!

Definitely a candidate for the front of my property. Good sun there. I do need something to screen the house for privacy, and while I love oaks and other green trees, I do want more color. Oaks & cedars closer to the house give me some good screening, but I have a hole that is now occupied by some ugly pines, one of which is stone cold dead. The others don't look good, and they were planted in a very unartistic row, too close together. Even if healthy, they detract from the property. And since the branches start higher up, they don't screen the house.

Thanks for the help! I may mix a few of these with some dogwoods. I think I have room for 3-4 of this size tree, without crowding them.

Any idea how fast they grow?

 

[treeseer]

Any idea how fast they grow?

Medium-fast, in the right soil and site. Under pines is good, loght shade not full sun imo. I've got a Chinese one at the corner of the house, branched low.

"Keep it kind of thin at the base, seem to weaken if too much weight is allowed around the base latter!"

Huh?

 

[sawinredneck]

Medium-fast, in the right soil and site. Under pines is good, loght shade not full sun imo. I've got a Chinese one at the corner of the house, branched low.

"Keep it kind of thin at the base, seem to weaken if too much weight is allowed around the base latter!"

Huh?

Mine had three growths on one base (not sure proper terminaligy, sorry) It was never pruned when young and I inherited three trees on one stump. It was beautiful! Bad wind storm and one third dropped then I got to see the rott in the crotch of the rest of the tree. I guess I should have said trim back the "second growth"? Sorry, trying to learn the propper lingo for all of this and I overcomplicated it. Does that help?
Andy

 

[Fireaxman]

Mine had three growths on one base (not sure proper terminaligy, sorry)
Andy

Sounds like triple co-dominant stems. Co-dominant stems are giving me a lot of problems. Where they have a tight "V" crotch the bark includes and forces the crotch apart. Then a Katrina comes by and blasts them apart.

 

[sawinredneck]

Sounds like triple co-dominant stems. Co-dominant stems are giving me a lot of problems. Where they have a tight "V" crotch the bark includes and forces the crotch apart. Then a Katrina comes by and blasts them apart.

"Co-dominant" Thank you, I shall try and remeber that!!! Guess I need to go and spend more time with my mom, she was a certified arborist, never really paid much attention then (kids never do!)
I am not trying to be an azz here, sorry if it comes off that way, I am just finding myself doing more and more tree work lately and am trying to figure out what the heck I am doing in the procces without screwing up!!
Andy

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Medium-fast, in the right soil and site. Under pines is good, loght shade not full sun imo.

In the location I'm thinking of, they'd have full sun for part of the day, like mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Shaded by other trees the rest of the day.

 

[rebelman]

We have lot's of native redbud here in Arkansas. They bloom just before the dogwoods, sometimes at the same time. Much favored, I leave them when clearing lots, and usually clean up a few on nearly every job. They do tend to clump, and I'll thin the clumps, but let 'em grow. Full sun is fine. I love redbuds. I often plant them beside red oak stumps. Flush cut the stump, make an oval of wood chips, and let the redbud grow. When hacks underbid me there is always a pile of redbud and dogwood in the middle of the lot.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Now if I can just find out what that tree (bush?) is that cities around here like to plant in the grass strip next to streets. Blooms in late July/August and has flowers similar to the redbud. Based on some verbal descriptions, I thought they WERE redbuds.

Most that I've seen are small, but I have seen a few the size of a redbud. Flowers I've seen are not a true red or purple, but have a bit of a melon or peach tone to them.

I like the fact that they provide color in the late summer.


Any ideas?

 

[Elmore]

Now if I can just find out what that tree (bush?) is that cities around here like to plant in the grass strip next to streets. Blooms in late July/August and has flowers similar to the redbud. Based on some verbal descriptions, I thought they WERE redbuds.

Most that I've seen are small, but I have seen a few the size of a redbud. Flowers I've seen are not a true red or purple, but have a bit of a melon or peach tone to them.

I like the fact that they provide color in the late summer.


Any ideas?

Sounds like Crape Myrtles

 

[lesorubcheek]

We have a couple of redbuds that were transplanted from my parent's farm. This is the third year and they still are not growing well at all. Both were only a few feet tall when they were transplanted and are not much larger now. They get full sun for almost the entire day and I had been thinking that maybe they needed more shade, but after reading this post, maybe this isn't the case. The soil here is almost all sand, so maybe this is the problem. Any recommendations regarding growing conditions for redbuds?

Dan

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

The soil here is almost all sand, so maybe this is the problem. Any recommendations regarding growing conditions for redbuds?

Our soil is pretty rich - lots of humus, and some clay in it. Actually, it can get pretty heavy in places.

 

[Toddppm]

Does sound like Crape Myrtles if a late blooming tree around here.

Hey , clean out your private messages!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Done, and thanks for the heads up. I keep forgetting to clean out the "Sent" folder, and those messages do count toward your total quota...

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I looked up some pictures of crape myrtles, and yep, that's the one I was thinking about. Thanks for the input.

I think we have a winner! A combination of redbud, dogwood (white), and some crape myrtles up front will give beauty AND privacy where now I have 5 UUUUUGLY pines, one of which is stone cold dead.


Now to find time to drop those beasts...

Man, the to-do list around here never stops!

 

[treeseer]

A combination of redbud, dogwood (white), and some crape myrtles up front will give beauty AND privacy where now I have 5 UUUUUGLY pines,

Mark, if you want privacy, why cut down your screen? Those pine trunks are solid screen, which can be added to by training vines up them. Even the dead one could be cut off at 6-8' and left as a screen/prop.

If the pines are ugly, why not take off the bad branches and look again before doing something you may regret? If you don't climb, a ladder and a polesaw can do a lot if you'r ecareful.

Redbuds and dogwoods grow well under pines. So do crepemyrtle if you have sunny spots on the edge of your grove. So do holly and osmanthus--if it's privacy you want, go evergreen!

If you want dogwood check out Cornus mas and Cornuse kousa, neat blooms at different times of year.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Mark, if you want privacy, why cut down your screen? Those pine trunks are solid screen,

They are too far apart to be a screen, and the branches don't start low enough to the ground to be a screen. Also, they are not healthy. The oldest one is dead (I mean bark falling off dead!), and the others are showing signs of the same. I'll post some pics - I do want to find out what's killing them in case it is something that could spread.

It looks like they were planted at different times, with the later ones shaded on one side, so that they are leaning like a row of dominoes in the process of falling. Of course, the good news there is that once they finally all die, they are positioned perfectly to fall on my power & telco lines.

If the pines are ugly, why not take off the bad branches and look again before doing something you may regret? If you don't climb, a ladder and a polesaw can do a lot if you'r ecareful. Redbuds and dogwoods grow well under pines. So do crepemyrtle if you have sunny spots on the edge of your grove.

Hmmm.... Maybe clear the bottom branches a bit higher to let some sun in, then start something else underneath, with the pines to be taken out later.... Hmmm....

So do holly and osmanthus--if it's privacy you want, go evergreen!

That's a thought - I do want the privacy but I also want some color....

If you want dogwood check out Cornus mas and Cornuse kousa, neat blooms at different times of year.

Thanks, I'll check those out.