Species PlantsTexas Redbud

Texas Redbud

Cercis canadensis var. texensis

UncommonPlant
Illustration of Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis)

Texas Redbud is a drought-adapted variety of Eastern Redbud native to the limestone hills and rocky canyons of central Texas and Oklahoma, where it is a beloved herald of spring. Its flowers appear on bare branches in early spring before the leaves emerge, creating a brilliant pink-magenta spectacle. Compared to the typical Eastern Redbud, the Texas variety has smaller, thicker, shinier leaves with wavy margins that better resist moisture loss in the hot, dry southern climate. It is widely planted as an ornamental across the South and Southwest.

Habitat
Limestone canyons, rocky hillsides, creek bottoms, and cedar-oak woodlands in central Texas and Oklahoma.
Diet
Flowers provide critical early-spring nectar for native bees; seeds eaten by Cardinals and other finches; browsed by deer.
How common
Uncommon

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