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Thursday - July 25, 2013

From: Grants Pass, OR
Region: Northwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Will Cercis (Redbud) grow in Oregon?
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

We live in Grants Pass, Oregon could Cercis grow here?

ANSWER:

You should be able to grow Cercis (redbud) in Grants Pass, Oregon. But be sure to purchase a variety that is best suited to your region (or a cultivar based on the variety best suited to your region).

There are three recognized varieties of Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud) -- var. canadensis, var. texensis and var. mexicana. Each has different cold, heat and moisture tolerances. C. canadensis var. canadensis is best suited to its native range of along the Atlantic coast to central Texas. A lack of water restrict the var. canadensis to the eastern half of North America.

C. canadensis var. texensis (Texas redbud) has smaller, glossier leaves, is a smaller form, and can tolerate more heat and drought.

The third variety is C. canadensis var. mexicana (Mexican redbud) which has small, very glossy, wavy-edged leaves and is even smaller in height.

Hardiness is not an issue as Grants Pass is in USDA Hardiness Zone 8b (15F to 20F). The Missouri Botanical Garden lists Cercis canadensis var. canadensis as being hardy from zone 4-8. They indicate that C. c. var. texensis or var. mexicana can take more heat and less cold (zones 6-9). These are the ones you should put in your garden.

The U.S. Forest Service also indicates that C. c. var. texensis is appropriate for Oregon.