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Forest Pansy Redbud - espalier Additional Product Shot 64

Forest Pansy Redbud - espalier Additional Product Shot 65

Forest Pansy Redbud - espalier Additional Product Shot 795

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Growth Facts

Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Spacing: As Desired
Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
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Forest Pansy Redbud - espalier

Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

This Tree is not available for Sale at this time through Bower & Branch. Bower & Branch provides this information for reference only. Please check back with us or contact us for more detail.

Our growers have come up with a creative way to appreciate our beloved native Forest Pansy Redbud tree in a whole new way—they’ve espaliered it! Like a mural painted by a master artist on the side of your home, this specially shaped ornamental tree will dress up a blank wall with glorious color and draw oohs and ahhs from your guests. We think it’s even better than a painting, though, because this mural changes throughout the year, depicting delicate lavender-pink flowers in spring, ruby-red foliage in summer, and butterscotch and gold tones in fall. And the show only gets better each year!

Growth Facts

Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Spacing: As Desired
Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
Show more ›

The Story
The Details
How to Grow
More Info
Q&A

The Story

Many normally green-leaved plants have at some point spawned a red-leaved variant. Redbud joined this club when a maroon seedling appeared in a crop of ordinary trees at Hiram B. Stubblefield’s Forest Nursery in Tennessee in 1947. The French term espalier (ess-pal-YAY) stems from the Italian word spalla, or shoulder. Plants so treated were thought of as resting their “shoulders” against the wall. The ancient craft of growing trees in this form has long been used on grapevines and on fruiting trees, but training Redbuds this way is relatively new.

The Details

An espalier is the perfect way to add some beauty to a small space. Have the ability to admire the lovely purple-pink Redbud blooms in spring and deep purple foliage throughout the summer on this spectacular specimen! Use this Forest Pansy espalier along a wall, along the side of the house - even as a living fence... you're only limited by your imagination.

How to Grow

Redbud’s herringbone branching pattern and the way it flowers on naked stems make it a flattering subject for espalier treatment, and the rich purple-red leaves help maintain interest all season. Espaliered trees are not plant-it-and-forget-it trees, but the maintenance involved can be quietly meditative. You’ll want to trim back branches that stray too far, and then nip the remaining stems to encourage fullness. You’ll be rewarded soon afterwards with fresh ruby-red foliage. Don’t prune after July, or you’ll remove flower buds. A sunny site with moist, well-drained soil is best.

More Info

Cold Tolerance/Hardiness Zone 5

Heat Tolerance/Hardiness Zone 9

Exposure Sun/Part Shade

Avg Mature Height As Trained

Avg Mature Width As Trained

Spacing As Desired

Growth Rate Medium

Leaf Color Purple

Fall Leaf Color Gold/Bronze

Flower Color Lavender-Pink

Flower Time Early Spring

Cary Award Winner No

PA Gold Medal Award No

Attractive Bark No

Attracts Birds No

Attracts Butterflies Yes

Attracts Hummingbirds Yes

Attracts Pollinators No

Deer Resistant No

Drought Tolerant No

Dry, Poor Soils No

Edible Fruit No

Fragrant No

Groundcover No

Hedge/Windbreak No

Native Yes

Salt Tolerance/Seashore Yes

Seasonal Cut Branches No

Shade Tolerance Yes

Showy Flowers Yes

Specimen Yes

Urban Conditions No

Utility Line Trees Yes

Wet Moist Soils No

Winter Interest Yes

Woodland Garden Yes

Decor/Craft Use No

Questions & Answers

Am I supposed to keep the Trellis attached to the Tree? If and when can I remove it?

The primary purpose of the Trellis is to provide the form for training. Much of this is accomplished on the Nursery, however, for a few growing seasons there may be a need and benefit to leaving the Trellis in place until the Tree calipers heavily.

We intentionally made the Trellis attractive for this purpose. It also serves to provide the desired effect until the specimen fully forms.

We recommend removing the Trellis in two to three growing seasons or when desired.

How do I care for and prune the Espalier Forest Pansy?

The Espalier Forest Pansy will require annual prunes. Like Topiary or Bonsai pruning, the main structure needs to be maintained as the Tree will force branching and work to return to its normal habit. A few prunes a year will help keep the desired form.

You should prune in the Spring at flowering time - when flowering is near the end. This is the ideal time for the first prune as it is before the leaf break, allowing you to see the structure of your Tree. Remove all undesired branching, cutting it back to main form structure. We generally like to leave branches about 2'' in length off of the main form branching. This will allow foliage to explode and fill in the space between structural branches, creating a wall of fresh, purple foliage - exactly what we are looking for!

At some point during mid-June to early July, the new Spring growth will begin to stretch and become undesirable for form. At that time, it is beneficial to make the second prune. This prune should not be nearly as hard as the one the occurred in Spring but every branch should be pruned back, some hard, some not - depending on the look desired.

This prune will expose some greener foliage and your Tree may not be as attractive for about two to three weeks but it will induce new growth and you will soon have the fresh purple foliage that is desired through the Summer.

These prunes are strongly recommended each year. Also, remember to fertilizer with the Bower & Branch Elements - a big Tree that is kept small requires a little extra TLC!