Redbud
1 entry found.
Redbud
Common Name: Redbud
Botanical Name: Cercis canadensis (SIR-sis can-a-DEN-sis)
Decorative Life: 7-10 days.
Post Harvest Care:
- Recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution.
Family Roots:
- Member of the Fabaceae or Leguminosae (pea) family.
- Native to the Eastern US and Canada.
- Related species include Acacia, brooms, locust, palo verde.
Personality:
- Small flowers with wing and banner petals occur along woody branches.
- Stems are woody, cut to various lengths.
- Plant is a deciduous shrub or tree, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
- Flowers are not fragrant.
Availability: Early spring.
Flower Color: Magenta, pink, white.
Storage Specifics: 34-38F in water.
Tidbits:
- One of relatively few plant species that can transform nitrogen from the atmosphere into a nitrogen form that plants can use as a fertilizer.
- The specific epithet name "canadensis" means of Canada. Cercis from Greek "kerkis" (name given by Theophrastus to describe its large, woody, flattened fruit).
Recent Findings: Redman et al. (2002) reported that 35-45F storage temperature gave equal results (they did not try lower or higher temperatures), at these temperatures they could be stored wet for only a maximum of one week, STS was not beneficial but flower food did enhance flower life.