Why Plant Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud?
Darling! Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud will win your heart with its many charms. In spring, its precious pink flowers open along the smoky-gray stems. The blooms nourish many native bees; they may also attract the earliest ruby-throated hummingbirds returning from the South. Typical Eastern Redbud Trees generate a lot of seedpods that aren’t terribly ornamental. Carolina Sweetheart® rarely produces seed, so there are hardly any messy seedpods to detract from the beautiful foliage. Once the flowers fade, an even more impressive performance begins: Carolina Sweetheart’s® heart-shaped foliage appears, the green leaves liberally splashed with hot pink and creamy white accents. Each leaf is a canvas, and no two paintings are the same!
Carolina Sweetheart® is a new version of our native Eastern Redbud Tree, the result of a Redbud breeding program at North Carolina State University. To produce it, Dr. Thomas Ranney pollinated a variegated Redbud, ‘Silver Cloud’, with a purple-leaved Redbud, ‘Forest Pansy’. Seeds from that pairing were sown and the resulting trees grown on to set seed and produce a second generation. In the second batch of seedlings, Carolina Sweetheart® stood out as a clear favorite by virtue of its amazing, multicolored leaves. This new selection is sure to be in high demand, and we are thrilled to be able to offer it!
How to use Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud in the landscape?
Plant this treasure right outside your window, and you’ll fall in love with it all over again every time you see it. This vividly colored tree will make a splash as a specimen planting, near your back patio or in a native woodland garden. No matter the location, you can't go wrong!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 6-9
How To Plant Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud
Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud is an adaptable tree, but siting it carefully and paying it some kindness will result in a much healthier and happier tree. Though it performs admirably in full sun, this Redbud Tree is better off in dappled shade or in a site with morning sun and afternoon shade, at least in very warm regions. It isn’t picky about soils, but will suffer if drainage is poor. Give it a layer of wood or bark mulch to replicate the woodsy conditions Redbuds prefer in the wild. Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud also appreciates regular water during its first few years in the ground and irrigation during long dry spells after it’s established.
How To Water
After planting, give your Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud a deep and thorough watering. For the first growing season, you should water every two to three days to be sure your tree is receiving a consistant amount of water. As it becomes established, it does have some drought tolerance.
How To Fertilize
Redbuds love fertilizer! When planting, we recommend using the Bower & Branch Starter Plant Food as it will deliver important nutrients to the root system. Continue fertilizing for the first three years in spring and fall - this will help you tree establishing a healthy and strong root system, setting you up for years of beautiful foliage!
How To Prune
The ideal time to prune your Carolina Sweetheart® Redbud is in late winter to early spring, before it breaks dormancy for the year. Remove any cross branching or any branching that is damaged or dead to maintain the overall shape of the tree.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
