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Fabaceae FAMILY

Cercis occidentalis

Cercis occidentalis

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Cercis occidentalis is a plant of the semi-arid regions of southwestern N. America, experiencing hot dry summers and cool to cold moist winters. It does not flower freely or thrive in regions with cool summers, nor in areas with very mild winters - it requires winter temperatures falling to at least -2°c in order to initiate profuse flowering in the spring[1]. Prefers a sunny position, though it can succeed in light shade, and prefers a well-drained soil[2]. The plant repays generous treatment[3]. Succeeds in most soils and pH types, but dislikes growing in wet soils, especially when these are of clay[2]. Prefers a deep damp sandy loam[3, 4]. Tolerates moderate levels of drought[1]. Plants can survive 1 - 3 months in inundated soils[5]. The flowers are produced on the branches of the previous or earlier years, and also on the trunk of the plant[6]. A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[7]. Plants respond well to coppicing. Long, straight and slender shoots, ideal for basket making, are best produced by coppicing the plant one full growing season before harvest[5]. Plants are susceptible to coral spot fungus, especially when growing in areas with cooler summers where the wood is not fully ripened[3]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2]. Resents root disturbance, plants should be planted into their permanent positions as soon as possible, preferably in May, and should be kept well watered until established[3]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[2]. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours in warm water then cold stratify for 3 months[8]. Sow spring in the greenhouse[9]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Plants resent root disturbance and are best planted out in their permanent positions as soon as possible[3]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[2]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Cercis+occidentalis>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Southern Trees Fact Sheets — Gilman E.F. · University of Florida, IFAS Extension · http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/department_envhort-trees ↩︎A series of fact sheets on trees that can be grown in Florida. They can be downloaded from the Internet
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  5. [5]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  6. [6]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  7. [7]New Trees — Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. · Kew Publishing; London · 2009 · ISBN 1842461737 ↩︎Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
  8. [8]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [9]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  10. [10]A California Flora. — Munz P.A. & Keck D.D. · University of California Press; Los Angeles · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [11]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  12. [12]Food Plants of the N. American Indians. — Yanovsky. E. · U.S. Depf of Agriculture. · ISBN - ↩︎A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
  13. [13]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  14. [14]The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. — Elias. T. · Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. · 1980 · ISBN 0442238622 ↩︎A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
  15. [15]The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation — Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. · University of Wisconsin · 1981 · ISBN 0-333-32221-5 ↩︎An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
  16. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎