Velvet Hearts Redbud

Velvet hearts is a hard to find green, purple and red colored redbud where the newest leaves start with the appearance of red velvet cake and transition back to darker purple and then ultimately green as they age. The underside of the purple leaves are especially striking often holding the red velvet cake color for an extended period of time. In early spring bright purple/pink redbud blooms emerge in clusters that light up the landscape. From spring to fall heart shaped leaves emerge in a multitude of colors with the newest growth emerging red, transitioning to purple and then to green. This cascade of color and the small size of Sparkling Wine make it a great tree for foundation plantings or for occupying the center of garden beds.

One of the things we really like this cultivar is how the velvet red color swirls and pops in a gentle breeze. The leaves keep a velvety matte texture, unlike it's sibling 'Sparkling Wine', which is a texensis hybrid with glossy leaves.

Velvet Hearts was discovered by some of our favorite people, Jeremiah, Ray and Cindy Jackson of Jackson Nursery, who also discovered the Rising Sun Redbud. This one is 100% attributed to Ray and Cindy's son Jeremiah, so as they say "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree..." or "The seed doesn't fall far from the tree farmer?" We are thrilled to bring this new offering from them to market and we think it will be an outstanding landscape specimen for years to come.

As a native cultivar, Velvet Hearts provides the same ecological benefits as the straight species. According to research by Dr. Doug Tallamy, eastern redbud serves as a larval host plant for approximately 19-24 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), including Henry's elfin butterfly and three specialist moth species—the redbud leaffolder, promiscuous angle, and Cenopis chambersana—whose caterpillars feed exclusively on redbud foliage [1]. The early spring flowers provide critical nectar for emerging pollinators when few other food sources are available, including the southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa), a specialist pollinator that forages on redbud before blueberries bloom. Additional pollinators include carpenter bees, bumble bees, mason bees, and various native mining and sweat bees [2]. Hummingbirds also visit the flowers for early-season nectar. The seeds attract finches, juncos, nuthatches, cardinals, rose-breasted grosbeaks, and wild turkeys, while caterpillars feeding on the foliage become essential protein for songbirds raising their young. By selecting Velvet Hearts, you're not just adding a beautiful ornamental tree—you're establishing a native plant that supports complex food webs throughout the growing season.

[1] Tallamy, D.W. 2009. Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants. Updated and Expanded Edition. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
[2] Xerces Society, "From the Field: Trees for Bees".

Photo Credit: With permission from Jackson Nursery

General care for any tree or shrub is easy, but like any living thing will require your attention. Please educate yourself and follow these simple rules.

Redbud Trees

Redbuds are an amazing and varied species of tree. General care and soil requirements are the same, although light and temperature requirements will differ based on cultivar. We sell our redbuds bare-root, we've sold thousands of redbuds this way with few problems, but they will be lightly rooted when you get them. This means your number one priority should be getting the roots established. Do this by planting early in the spring (or fall if you are zone 7a or south) and caring for the tree appropriately with slow release fertilizer and proper water (a moisture meter works wonders).

Most problems with redbuds come from poor site selection. Tougher than a dogwood, a redbud is a hardy tree with few problems when sited properly. It will tolerate full sun or shade can withstand a bit of drought, but will struggle with disease and lack of growth in poor soil.

Site Selection

Redbuds do prefer some shade, afternoon shade is best as morning sun decreases problems with powdery mildew, but most cultivars will grow in full sun without issue. They will not tolerate a site with standing water and prefer well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Soil composition is less important with redbuds than compaction, which happens from heavy equipment, vehicle traffic, mower traffic or even lots of foot traffic. Compacted soil is hard and lacks the natural sponge like structure that redbuds need to grow. A good rule of thumb is that if grass is struggling in an area then redbuds will too. Speaking of grass, grass should be removed in a 2-3 ft. radius around the redbud. Wood mulch should be applied and must be applied to qualify for a refund. Rock leads to extra heating and is as likely to damage your tree as protect it. Finally, redbuds can grow in costal areas, but the salts near the ocean will cause growth issues. They should not be grown south of the Florida pan handle unless your micro-climate specifically sustains existing populations of the tree.

Powdery Mildew

Problems with powdery mildew can occur and if they do we recommend increased airflow and making sure your watering regiment does not wet the leaves. In very wet years or climates this problem can be unavoidable, but try pruning back some of the branches or your redbud to increase airflow. Early spring and after flowering are both suitable times to prune - following directions for proper tree pruning.

Redbud Leaf Roller Caterpillars

Leaf roller caterpillars are small and zebra striped. They will fold, roll, or paste leaves together with silk to create a home. Once again established trees should not be a problem (see below for weeping redbuds), pruning back some of the leaves can improve airflow and access to predators. If you continue to be bothered by them, we suggest stepping back 10 ft. and seeing if they are still a problem. If they are, we prefer the long term solution of creating habitat for predators, birds and tiny parasitic wasps (they don't sting) over the use of pesticides that do more harm than good. Once again eliminating some of the leaf density will give them less high quality real estate, while making them easier for predators to reach. Peeling apart stuck leaves before they receive too much damage is also helpful. We don’t recommend pesticides as these will struggle to reach the leaf rollers caterpillars, simply making them more accessible to predators and using the 10 ft. rule (view the trees from 10 feet away) are the best approaches to dealing with this important food source for birds.

Leaf Cutter Bees

We get a lot of questions about perfectly cut circles and semicircles in redbuds. These are fascinating in their own right, and you may think tiny ancient aliens visited your tree at night. This is the work of the leaf-cutter bee, which is an important native pollinator that uses redbud leaves to make its nests. Once again, living with nature and the 10 ft. rule is the best approach here.

Weeping Redbuds

Weeping redbuds are great trees for small spaces, use them in a home landscape for their unique appearance and beautiful qualities. They must be trained to a certain height, so if purchased below the intended size, stake them and tie them with vinyl tape periodically to help them reach the desired size. At 3-4 in height they make an interesting alternative to shrubs, at 6-7 feet they are gorgeous weeping trees.

Powdery mildew and redbud leaf rollers can be a bigger problem for weeping redbuds due to the leaves layering on top of one another that create a lack of airflow and deny access to predators. We recommend periodic pruning of your weeping redbud if you experience either of these issues. Think of it as a haircut and take your time pruning only a small amount and smaller branches if possible. Spring and summer after flowering are both good times to prune.