Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Wednesday - April 21, 2010

From: Virginia Beach, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Planting, Seasonal Tasks, Transplants, Trees
Title: Transplanting a redbud in Virginia Beach VA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have a 5-6 ft. Redbud Tree and like to dig up and move to different spot in my backyard. How/what is the proper way to do it without killing the tree?

ANSWER:

Ordinarily, our first recommendation is to do that in the late Fall or Winter, when the tree is semi-dormant. Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud) is native to your area at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, according to our Plants of Chesapeake Bay list in our Special Collections section.   In Austin, Central Texas, USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, our redbuds have already bloomed, leafed out and are beginning to show some seed pods. In Fairfax County, you are in Zone 7a to 8, very near ours, and we would hate for the tree to be moved while it is in bloom, because almost certainly you would lose the blooms. No matter how carefully you do so, it is always a shock to move a tree, and we believe it would be preferable to wait until Fall to do so. However, if there is some compelling reason, such as construction in the area where the tree is now, then the sooner you get it moved, the better. The research we have seen indicates that a young tree can be successfully transplanted in Spring or Fall. 

For more information on the tree itself, read this USDA Forest Service article on Eastern Redbud. Some more specific instructions are found in this eHow website How to Grow a Redbud Tree. Even with your best efforts and planting it in the cooler Spring, you may still have some leaf loss. This is transplant shock, and if it begins to bother you, trim off about 1/4 of the crown. Mostly what that tree will be doing this year is getting its roots back into working order. Don't fertilize! In the first place, fertilizer is to encourage new growth, which the roots don't have the time or energy for at first. In the second place, fertilizer can actually shock those little new rootlets that are trying to get going in the new soil and access nutrients from the soil. Trimming off some of those upper stems and leaves reduces the transpiration, or loss of water, that the roots must supply. Don't trim off too many leaves, though, they are needed for photosynthesis to provide nutrition to the whole tree.

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis

More Planting Questions

Best way to plant sedges on a slope in Fairfax, VA.
March 20, 2012 - Best way to plant sedges on a slope. WE are in the LONG process of trying to convert our backyard to a native wildlife friendly habitat. The slope is about 30 degress and it's a large space 1/2 acr...
view the full question and answer

Perennials for mountain cabin in Southern California
July 26, 2010 - We have a mountain cabin at 7,000ft elevation in S. California. Please recommend native perennials. Thanks.
view the full question and answer

Taproot tree to replace willows by pool
June 23, 2008 - Installing Pool with bomanite decking all around it. We're in process of cutting down 18 year old Weeping Willow due to root invasiveness and small messy leaves. Can you recommend a good shade tree w...
view the full question and answer

Best wildflowers for Lamar County TX
February 02, 2012 - What are the best wildflowers for northeast Tx? We live right below the Red River just north of Paris. Can they only be planted by seed in the fall? Thank you.
view the full question and answer

Root ball disintegrating on Arroyo sweetwood from Dripping Springs TX
May 11, 2013 - I just purchased a arroyo sweetwood in a 5 gallon container and when I went to put it in the ground the root ball completely fell apart. I put it in the ground and watered it really good. What are its...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.