''Cercis chinensis'', the Chinese redbud, () is a plant in the legume the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to China, where it grows in southern and north-central China and Manchuria.

Description

As a tree, the Chinese

redbud ''Cercis'' is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as redbuds in the USA. They are characterised by simple, rounded to heart-sha ...

may grow up to tall with a trunk diameter of up to , however, the species is normally found growing in shrub form. The flowers are pink or milky white in color whilst the leaf body is almost circular in shape, in length and tapers to a point at the end. Flowering in April, the Chinese redbud produces fruit in October. The Chinese cercis (Cercis chinensis) Bunge is a native of China and a member of the Fabaceae family, which is extensively dispersed there. Its many parts can be utilized for traditional Chinese medicine, which dates back a long way, in addition to its high beauty value.

Cultivation

Although hardy, in cultivation this plant requires a sheltered spot in a southerly or westerly aspect, with damp well-drained soil. The following

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

(confirmed 2017): *''C. chinensis'' 'Avondale' *''C. chinensis'' 'Don Egolf' Cercis chinensis 'Avondale', Morris Arboretum 04.jpg Cercis chinensis 'Avondale', Morris Arboretum 06.jpg Cercis chinensis 'Avondale', Morris Arboretum 05.jpg Cercis chinensis 'Avondale' kz01.jpg

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q12955905 chinensis Endemic flora of China Flora of Manchuria Flora of North-Central China Flora of South-Central China Flora of Southeast China Plants described in 1835 Taxa named by Alexander von Bunge