Hardiness: 6 - 9 Sun: Full Sun, Partial Sun . Most notable for its striking foliage, the Forest Pansy redbud is a beautiful landscape … It has a tighter, denser habit than Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ and the leaves of ‘Merlot’ are smaller, thicker, and glossier than those of ‘Forest Pansy’. texensis) and 'Forest Pansy' (Cercis canadensis). Zones US, MS, LS, CS; 9–2. Lustrous, dark purple foliage is similar to that of Forest Pansy, but with Texas redbud in its genetics, 'Merlot' offers excellent heat and drought tolerance along with thicker, glossier leaves that do not show stress in heat of summer. Choosing plants that grow and thrive in your particular climate is the very first step toward having a beautiful garden . Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Knowing about Oklahoma Redbud and Forest Pansy Redbud life span is important as life cycles vary and are affected by environmental and genetic factors. Once established, reduce frequency; tolerates moderate drought. PRIVACY POLICY|TERMS & CONDITIONS|SITE MAP. The Texas Redbud is commonly found decorating DFW parks, roadsides, and natural areas with a spray of purple-red flowers in Spring, much to our delight. The Missouri Botanical Garden is known for high quality information and you may want to read these. When you are camping or hiking, the sight of a deer grazing in the forest may elicit sounds of enthusiasm and awe. The Merlot Redbud is a cross between Cercis canadensis and texensis that resulted in a more drought and heat tolerant tree that is a definite improvement over Forest Pansy in that its purple leaves are darker, glossier and thicker and the tree itself has a tighter, denser habit. There are very few rules in gardening, but perhaps the most important one is to work within your zone. After the charming blossoms fade away, long, pendulous, bean-like seedpods appear in … Season: Spring (Early,Mid,Late) ... Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' (Eastern Redbud) Add to Collection. Joining long-standing favorites 'Oklahoma,' with its magenta blossoms, and 'Forest Pansy,' with its purple spring foliage, several new redbuds are available at retail locations in North Texas. Redbuds growing in the sun will be compact and rounded; when grown in shade, their form is loose, open and tall. A wonderful understory planting, placed in the foreground of larger trees and shrubs. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery. Bright lavender-pink flowers in spring. `Forest Pansy' Eastern Redbud is a moderate to rapid-grower, 20 to 30 feet in height, which has red twigs and beautiful, shimmering, purple/red new leaves, which fade to purple/green during the summer in its southern range (USDA hardiness zones 7, 8 and 9). It is a hybrid of Forest Pansy and Texas redbuds. Your climate might be too cold for this plant: Water regularly - weekly, or more often in extreme heat. Flowers are small (1/2 in. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The texensis genes enable Cercis x 'Merlot' to resist heat better, resulting in more lustrous, deeper purple foliage. Provide well drained soil. The common name of Redbud comes from those small reddish purple buds that grow along the stems, bringing the plant to life after winter. Unlike Forest Pansy, Merlot does not show leaf stress in heat of summer. The tree does best in soil that gets regular, consistent moisture, although it is known to be drought resistant once its root system is established. I also read in Wikipedia that it is pollinated only by long-tongued bees such as blueberry bees or carpenter bees; short-tongued bees can’t reach the nectar. Regarding height, almost everywhere I looked gave the same size range for both, 20′ to 30′ high and 25′ to 35′ wide. long), rosy pink or lavender. One for collectors. A full sun to part shade lover, this Redbud is easily grown in well-drained soils. Oklahoma Redbud and Forest Pansy Redbud Life Span. Deciduous. I don't like too many purple-leafed trees (for example, 'Thundercloud' flowering plum is a plague upon the suburbs that should be stricken from the Earth), but 'Forest Pansy' redbud is a winner. Thank you for your question. It can develop as a multi-trunk shrub. If only they would change the moronic, sissified name. Leaves are rich green, 3–6 in. EASTERN REDBUD. Merlot Redbud tree is a distinct new cultivar of redbud that originated as a second generation descendant from the hybridization of 'Texas White' (Cercis canadensis var. Looking at more mature redbuds in Mt Pleasant Cemetary and Ramsden Park they are quite sizeable. Foliage is similar to Forest Pansy, but with Texas Redbud in its genes, 'Merlot' offers excellent drought tolerance and thicker, glossier leaves that stand up to summer heat. Colored foliage resembling Merlot wine shade, their form is loose, open tall... 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