Redbud tree - Ask Extension
Hello! Our redbud tree did not flower this season and the leaves are coming in sparsely. We have lived on this property for 3 years and this is the fi...
Knowledgebase
Redbud tree #828750
Asked May 06, 2023, 7:26 PM EDT
Hello! Our redbud tree did not flower this season and the leaves are coming in sparsely. We have lived on this property for 3 years and this is the first season that the tree hasn’t put on a show. Last year we cut off one large, low hanging branch and I removed some grass to create a small flower garden under the tree. Could these things have stressed the tree? I don’t know how old the tree may be, but I believe it has been fully matured for some time and trimmed in the past. Pictures are attached. Thank you for your time!
Clark County Ohio
Expert Response
Dear Emily,
My first thought when I read your note was that your redbud was subject to one of the late hard frosts we had this year, although Redbud is tough and I noticed a great display of blossoms for a long time here in central Ohio. But there are some diseases that can affect the tree.
Penn State mentions canker: Redbud Diseases (psu.edu)
Illinois Extension has an entire list of other issues for the redbud: Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)-Hort Answers - University of Illinois Extension. If you click through some of the links provided, you will learn what signs and symptoms to look for.
It is unlikely that pruning the branch or removing the grass and planting flowers contributed to its poor showing this year.
My first thought when I read your note was that your redbud was subject to one of the late hard frosts we had this year, although Redbud is tough and I noticed a great display of blossoms for a long time here in central Ohio. But there are some diseases that can affect the tree.
Penn State mentions canker: Redbud Diseases (psu.edu)
Illinois Extension has an entire list of other issues for the redbud: Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)-Hort Answers - University of Illinois Extension. If you click through some of the links provided, you will learn what signs and symptoms to look for.
It is unlikely that pruning the branch or removing the grass and planting flowers contributed to its poor showing this year.
