Research conducted and descriptions written by Burley Middle School 6th grade students in 2023 with minor editing by RCA staff.
The Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, is a short tree that can grow up to 10-20 feet tall, with a canopy up to 15 feet wide. It has pretty heart shaped leaves and blooms in the early spring with small bright pink flowers, and then forms seed pods. It is a very beautiful tree that attracts insects like bees and butterflies. It is also drought tolerant and low maintenance, so it can grow in many environments.
Fun fact: It is a very common tree and is called spice tree in Appalachia, because it has many medicinal uses to treat things like fever and coughs.