Pronounciation: SIR-sis can-a-DEN-sis variety mex-i-CA-na

Hardiness zones
Sunset 4-20
USDA 6-10 (must have winter cold to gain deciduous habit

Landscape Use: Used primarily as a late winter accent tree, patio tree for mesic, oasis, and xeric (must be watered though) garden themes, bonsai.

Form & Character: Upright and rounded, but not perfectly symmetrical, open, informal, delicate, refined.

Growth Habit: Deciduous, woody broadleaf perennial shrub or small tree, slow to moderate growth to 15-feet tall with equal spread.

Foliage/Texture: Leaves, alternate, deciduous, oval to cordate, 2- to 6-inches wide, simple, dark green with an intricate palmate patterns of venation, leathery with sometimes undulating margins. Leaves can develop a glossy appearance with age; medium fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Deep rose edible flowers borne in 4-inch clusters, early spring before the annuial re-leaf occurs. Fruit are a brownish-red pod, up to 3-inches long.........UUGGGGLY!

Seasonal Color: A beautiful full display of flowers in February and March.

Temperature: Tolerant, especially of desert cold. Premature foliar senescence occurs when planted in the hottest lower desert locations. Mexican red bud thrives in high desert landscapes and landscapes of upper elevation town and cities of Arizona. Cold hardy to -5^oF.

Light: Full sun, except light shade or protection from intense western afternoon summer sun in low desert sites.

Soil: Tolerant of diversity of soil textures so long as soils are well drained.

Watering: Regular to some drought.

Pruning: Young trees should be rigorously trained to develop a strong schaffold branch architecture.

Propagation: Seed, named cultivars can be grafted or propagated by cuttings in summer under mist. Micropropagation techniques for Mexican redbud are also possible.

Disease and Pests: Root and stem rots in moist or poorly drained soils.

Additional comments: Mexican redbud is an open-canopied small tree that is rarely seen in Phoenix landscapes, but actually will grow quite well if given adequate supplemental water and some surrounding landscape greenery. Though it is somewhat drought tolerant, Mexican redbud is not considered to be a small tree for xeric, desert or water conserving landscapes. Mexican redbud produces abundant brown seedpods that can create a litter problem. It was highly valued by Native American basket makers as a source of natural pattern contrast without the need to dye the fibers.

Taxonomic tidbits: Mexican redbud was classified by George Engelman (1809-1844), a physician and botanist from St. Louis, Missouri. The name "redbud" is because the inner bark of this great small tree bears a reddish coloring. Cercis siliquastrum (common name Judas tree) is another excellent redbud taxon that is well adapted to southwestern gardens.