AboutRobin Expertise I can answer questions relating to the identification, growing and ethnobotany of native plants in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States, particularly the Great Lakes Region.
I am not so good with grasses and I cannot answer questions related to the West Coast or the deep South.
Experience I maintain a half acre woodland garden in Michigan. I have attended many native gardening workshops and I studied field botany in college. I have taken groups on native plant walks.
Organizations Michigan Native Gardeners
Wild Ones
Education/Credentials I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with a Biology minor.
Expert: Robin Date: 5/7/2008 Subject: Eastern Red Bud Trees
Question I want to purchase some red bud trees but want to be sure they are purple. Is there more than one color redbud and, if so, which variety is purple? Thank you!
Answer Alba is white and Silver Cloud is white and pink. Forest Pansy has reddish leaves but with the standard flowers and Flame or Plena has double flowers that appear at the same time as the leaves. Lavender twist or Covey is an interesting weeping variety.
The wild type Eastern Redbud Trees have purpley pink pink flowers and green leaves that appear later. When ordering make sure your plant says Cercis canadensis with nothing added to the end if that's what you're looking for. Anything at the end, often in parentheses () or single quotes '' indicates some variation.
If you want to make absolutely sure, pick up your tree at a nursery where you can inspect it first.
