Tree Description:
An arching, multi-trunked shrub or small tree to 20 feet tall.
Range/Site Description:
Native to the shaded canyons and slopes of extreme southwest Texas and into Mexico, Mexican rebud can also be used as a landscape tree for hot, dry locations.
Leaf:
Simple, alternate, heart-shaped, 1" to 2.5" long and wide; glossy and green; leaf edge wavy, without teeth. Twigs and petioles are wooly-hairy.
Flower:
Showy, purple to pink, pea-shaped, borne on the twigs before the leaves emerge in spring.
Fruit:
A flattened pod, 2" to 3" long, dark brown, enclosing the small, hard seeds.
Bark:
Dark gray, smooth, developing a scaly texture on older stems and trunks. Susceptible to cankers and boring insects.
Wood:
Heavy, hard, weak, dark brown in color, and of little commercial importance. Cultivated as an ornamental tree in the landscape trade.
Similar Species:
Texas redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texana) has larger leaves without the wavy edge.
Interesting Facts:
It has been reported that the flowers can be pickled for salads, or fried.
