Cercis occidentalis

Cercis occidentalis is a deciduous shrub to small tree, growing up to {{Convert|7|m|ft}} tall. The largest individual is in Santa Rosa and is {{Convert|8.8|m|ft}} high. Its crown is rounded on clustered, erect branches to a width of {{Convert|10-20|ft|m}}. The branches are thin, shiny, and brown. Twigs are slender, erect, and hairless.{{Cite book |last1=Stuart |first1=John D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gLt_MZUx7kMC&dq=cercis+occidentalis&pg=PA202 |title=Trees and Shrubs of California |last2=Sawyer |first2=John O. |date=2001-06-11 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-22110-9 |pages=202–203 |language=en}}

The leaves are arranged alternately along the twigs and are simple, round, and slightly leathery, growing to {{Convert|5-9|cm|in}} in diameter, with {{Convert|12-25|mm|in|adj=on}} petioles. They have heart shaped bases with entire margins. Leaves have 7 to 9 fan-like veins. The upper surfaces of the leaves are dark green, shiny, and hairless, while their lower surfaces are green and hairless. They start as light green early in the season and darken as they age; on plants at higher elevation, leaves may turn gold or red as the weather cools.{{cite web |title=Cercis occidentalis Tree Record |url=https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/321 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=SelecTree |publisher=UFEI |place=Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo}}

Inflorescences are unbranched and showy with bright pink or magenta flowers. Flowers, described as similar to pea flowers, measure about {{Convert|12|mm|in|adj=}} long and appear before leaves emerge. They grow in clusters all over the shrub, making the plant very colorful and noticeable in the landscape. The fruits are legume pods, {{Convert|4-7.5|cm|in|adj=}} long and about {{Convert|12|mm|in|adj=}} wide, thin and dry, and brown or reddish-purple. The clustered pods persist through winter.{{Cite book |last=Sudworth |first=George B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OLklqecZ4ocC&dq=cercis+occidentalis&pg=PA367 |title=Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope |date=1908 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=367–368 |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Cercis occidentalis Western Redbud, California Redbud PFAF Plant Database|url=https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cercis+occidentalis|access-date=2021-12-23|website=pfaf.org}}

It is an abundant seeder and seeds have a high rate of germination. It endures shade in early life and light shade when mature; shade tolerance appears to be greater with increased soil moisture.

The wood is fine-grained, dark yellowish brown, with a thin layer of whitish sapwood.{{Cite book |last=Sudworth |first=George B. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OLklqecZ4ocC&dq=cercis+occidentalis&pg=PA367 |title=Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope |date=1908 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |pages=367–368 |language=en}}

Compared to the more commonly cultivated Cercis canadensis, it has more rounded leaves and tends to grow as a small shrub rather than a tree, although it does commonly grow as larger trees up to 25 feet tall, particularly in natural settings.{{cite web | title=Cercis canadensis, eastern redbud | website=Trees of Stanford & Environs | date=2017-03-19 | url=https://trees.stanford.edu/ENCYC/CERca.htm | access-date=2024-05-18}}

Its native habitats include foothill woodlands and chaparrals; they grow near stream banks in dry foothills and lower canyon slopes below {{Convert|1100|m|ft}}. It grows frequently in crevices and pockets where seeds are well covered with mineral soil.

Cercis occidentalis flowers bloom in spring from February to April. As is the case with other legumes, it is a nitrogen-fixing plant because of the presence of root nodules, allowing symbiotic bacteria to produce nitrogen. They grow singly and in shrubby clumps alongside California buckeye, ceanothus, manzanita, and other chaparral brush.

It is noted for attracting birds and other wildlife. The leaves are harvested by native leafcutter bees and the flowers are an important nectar and pollen source for native insects and hummingbirds.{{Cite web |title=Cercis occidentalis |url=https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=18736 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=ucjeps.berkeley.edu}}

It can be susceptible to occasional tent caterpillar infestations, but these can be controlled. It is also known to be susceptible to other caterpillars as well as crown rot, phytophthora, root rot, and scales. It is resistant to oak root fungus and armillaria.

Indigenous Californians use the twigs of the western redbud to weave baskets, and even prune the shrub to encourage growth of new twigs. The bark provides a faint reddish dye for the finished basketry.{{Sfn|Chestnut|1902|p=357}}

It has been described as being worthy of notice for foresters only because of their use in "forming a scanty cover along dry, rocky borders of streams," and the wood has been described as being of no economic or domestic use.

Cercis occidentalis is cultivated as an ornamental plant and tree, for planting in parks and gardens, and as a street tree. It is also used in drought tolerant, native plant, and wildlife gardens.[http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/cercis-occidentalis Las Pilitas Nursery database — Cercis occidentalis (Western Redbud)] . accessed 3.23.2013 It is also used as a screen tree.

Cercis occidentalis is important to the ethnobotany of multiple native groups, being used in basketry, and has different names in their respective languages. Botanist Victor King Chestnut gave the name for the tree in various north California indigenous languages; according to him, the Yuki call the tree Chā'ā, the Koncow call it {{lang|mjd|dop}}{{Sfn|Chestnut|1902|p=404}} or {{lang|mjd|tal'k}},{{Sfn|Chestnut|1902|p=408}} the Ukiah (cited as Yokia) call it Kälā' ä kälã',{{Sfn|Chestnut|1902|p=405}} and it is called Mūlā' in Northern Pomo.{{Sfn|Chestnut|1902|p=406}}

File:California Redbud (7230960646).jpg|Redbud during spring, March 2012

File:Western red bud near Briceburg 2019-04-14.jpg|Western redbud near Briceburg, California April 2019

File:Merced canyon spring 2019.jpg|Redbud, poppies and much more − Merced River canyon March 2019

{{Reflist}}

• Casebeer, M. (2004). Discover California Shrubs. Sonora, California: Hooker Press. {{ISBN|0-9665463-1-8}}
• {{Cite book |last=Chestnut |first=Victor King |author-link=Victor King Chesnut |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vLkUAAAAYAAJ |title=Plants Used by the Indians of Mendocino County, California |publisher=Government Printing Office |year=1902 |series=Contributions from the U.S. National Herbarium |volume=VII |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=2024-11-07 |issue=3}}

• [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=18736 Jepson Manual Treatment — Cercis occidentalis (western redbud)]
• [http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Cercis+occidentalis CalFlora Database: Cercis occidentalis]
• [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CEOR9 USDA Plants Profile: Cercis orbiculata (Cercis occidentalis)]
• [http://www.plantmaps.com/nrm/cercis-occidentalis-california-redbud-native-range-map.php Interactive Distribution Map for Cercis occidentalis]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q5063945}}

occidentalis

Category:Flora of California

Category:Flora of Arizona

Category:Flora of Nevada

Category:Flora of Utah

Category:Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)

Category:Natural history of the California Coast Ranges

Category:Garden plants of North America

Category:Drought-tolerant plants

Category:Ornamental trees

Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Category:Plants described in 1850

Category:Taxa named by Asa Gray