From the late 1980′s on, the Victory Garden on public TV inflicted even more zone envy on us Northern gardeners by repeatedly showing and planting the Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ cultivar, then blithely mentioning that it was hardy to zone 6.

Here in Austin, we plant Cercis canadensis texensis or Cercis canadensis mexicana, because it’s too hot and alkaline for the Eastern Redbud. I’ve planted Texas redbuds at both my houses, but had to have a ‘Forest Pansy’ – now planted as an understory tree with afternoon shade from a Live Oak.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

I have been growing Cornus mas ‘Spring Glow’ since 2001. This was the first year it really blossomed for me, and I believe it was later than my ‘Meadowlark’ forsythia. I planted it up the hill, so it could be seen from the back of the house (2nd story), and it wasn’t glowing enough for that. I did take pictures, but looking through my archives I see I never posted them. Maybe this winter? Anyway, I don’t think we’ve actually had a Zone 4 winter since I planted it (at least, not in terms of minimum temp), but we have had drought that possibly slowed it down. I’d rate it as worth a gamble, but slow to come into its own.

I bought a Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ based on the positive report of an acquaintance. It is definitely not hardy. The purple leaf section above the graft died after its first winter and the rootstock, regular not-hardy C. canadensis, acts as a herbaceous perennial and has come back from the roots the last two years. Its dichondra-shaped foliage is pretty and provides great contrast but it will never flower, gain size, or become woody. Having this book would have saved me from re-inventing the wheel.

I don’t grow any of the taller or tree-like Cornus but a friend in a zone 5 has C. mas. It’s brilliant yellow flowers were spectacular this year. Imagine the color of a Forsythia on a very upright small tree. I’m sorely tempted but will have to look it up in the book!

Kathy: My “good” Cercis is in a nasty area. Its location is fully exposed: no nearby trees or buildings, full sun, and a constant winter wind. Spring or early summer are the recommended planting times but I, once again, planted mine in mid-fall. That it has succeeded owes more to the plant’s toughness than my efforts. It really is a unique looking plant, looks boffo with other plants, and you should try it if you can find the hardy strain.

I confess I’ve never tried growing a redbud. I’ve heard of too many failures. Even in the book, they do say redbuds “require a sheltered location in colder climates to reach their full potential.” They list the straight species and ‘Northland’ as hardy to -30F, and the white form as hardy to -25F. I have seen Cornus florida rated that hardy in other sources as well. To me they are both marginally hardy, and I was trying to warn people that the authors were more willing to gamble than I was. I think if I found a source for either tree that were grown from northern stock, I’d be sorely tempted, especially if I could figure out what was a sheltered location on my property.