Western Redbud
Cercis occidentalis
Family 3
Fabaceae
Description 4
Western or California redbud is a leguminous shrub that grows from 7 to 20 feet tall with a dense rounded crown that almost reaches the ground. The leaves are simple, thick, round or reniform, and cordate at the base, and have from seven to nine prominent veins. . The striking pea-shaped flowers appear before the leaves, in small fascicles along the branches. Each flower has five petals that range in color from magenta pink to reddish purple.
Community 3
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland
Flowering* 3
Feb-Apr
Ethnobotanical Information 3
Western redbud is highly valued by Native American basket weavers in California for their young, wine-red branches, harvested in the fall and used in the warp, weft, and designs of baskets. If the branches are harvested in the spring when the bark slips, the white inner sapwood may also be used as the weft or lacing in baskets. (USDA)
Location in Garden 3
R
Associated species 3
native bees and bumble bees pollinate and provides nectar; nesting for native bees. orchard mason bees (Osmia lignaria) pollinate (USDA).
Sources and Credits
- (c) James Gaither, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/13892958@N07/3449348287
- (c) gillian360, all rights reserved, uploaded by gillian360
- (c) gillian360, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by gillian360 from a work by Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/1380913
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Calflora
- CalPhotos
- eFloras.org
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- OregonFlora.org
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- VASCAN by Canadensys
- World Flora Online
