Cercis chinensis Kay's Early Hope

Cercis chinensis 'Kay's Early Hope' is a selection of Chinese redbud quite unique for the abundance and duration of its lavender-pink flowering. This small tree, one of the first to bloom at the end of winter, continues to bloom as its leaves appear and can re-bloom in the second half of summer. It also has larger leaves than other Cercis varieties and a wider habit. The flowers bloom in clusters directly on the branches and even on the trunk. Its cultivation presents no difficulty.

Cercis chinensis 'Kay's Early Hope' comes from seeds collected in the wild in the Chinese province of Hubei in 1996. It is a deciduous tree of the fabaceae or caesalpiniaceae family according to classifications. This small tree or bush, with a spreading habit and branches that start branching from the base, sometimes multi-trunked, shows moderately fast growth. Ultimately, it reaches about 4.50 m in height with a width of 3.75 m. Its development depends, of course, on the growing conditions, it sometimes does not exceed 3.50 m in all directions. The flowers appear before the leaves, in March, directly on the bark. They are remarkably abundant pea flowers, gathered in clusters. The production of flowers continues until well after the emergence of leaves, at least until the end of April. The considerable quantity of lavender-pink flowers, from the tips of the branches to the oldest trunks, constitutes an exceptional spectacle over a prolonged period. Depending on the climate, this variety is capable of re-blooming in August. The fruits, in the form of flattened pods, appear in summer and persist on the plant in winter, much to the delight of birds. The foliage consists of heart-shaped, rounded, quite thick, smooth, 8 to 12 cm long leaves. Their margin is transparent with prominent veins. Theey are bright green in summer, then they turn yellow before falling in autumn. The bark is brown, becoming grey on the trunk or the older branches. 

This Chinese cousin of the Judas tree is truly undemanding, it withstands severe cold and grows in ordinary soil, even limestone and dry in summer. Cercis chinensis 'Kay's Early Hope' can be planted as a solitary specimen, or associated in a grove with other easy-to-grow flowering shrubs such as lilacs, large shrub roses, wild and botanical roses, crabapples and ornamental cherries...