‘Flame Thrower’ Redbud

Cercis canadensis ‘Flame Thrower’ ‘NC2016-2’

Eastern redbud is a small deciduous tree known for bright pink and purple blooms in early spring before the tree’s heart-shaped leaves emerge. The individual flowers resemble pea blooms (they’re in the same family) and provide a great source of nectar and pollen to bees and other pollinators in late February and March since it’s a time of year when most plants are still dormant. The flowers, and subsequently, the seed pods are borne along the old stems and sometimes trunks of the trees–an unusual adaptation called ‘cauliflory’. Eastern redbuds are often found in our area along woodland edges, open thickets and along rocky streams. You’ll often notice them blooming along interstate 40 along the edges of the woods. 

‘Flame Thrower’ is a variety of redbud bred by Dennis J. Werner of NC State University by crossing ‘Rising Sun’ and ‘NC2006-14’ redbuds. ‘Rising Sun’ is an upright variety with gold leaves and ‘NC2006-14’ is a weeping, purple leaf variety. By crossing the two, ‘Flame Thrower’ has traits of both-–with a range of leaf colors emerging red/purple and maturing in a consecutive series of colors from red to orange, yellow, then green. ‘Flame Thrower’ is not classified as having a weeping habit, but it does have limbs with a slight pendant growth.

'Flame Thrower' Redbud closeup

'Flame Thrower' Redbud

This variety of redbud is stunning during the growing season when foliated. The gradation of leaf colors is startling when seen all at once and creates a prismatic specimen tree in any yard. Because of the smaller stature, ‘Flame Thrower’ will fit in most yards without taking up too much of the landscape. The colorful display of leaves end in yellow before giving way to autumn. After leaf drop the unique zig-zag stems are exposed-–a common way to identify eastern redbuds in winter. 

In addition to beauty, eastern redbuds are safe to plant near black walnuts (juglone tolerant) and are not a preferred food source for deer.

NAME: 

Cercis is derived from the Greek word kerkis meaning “weaver’s shuttle” – a note on the resemblance of the seed pods to the weaver’s tool.

NATIVE RANGE: 

Eastern and central North America from New Jersey down to Florida and west to Nebraska and eastern Texas.

FUN FACT: 

Cercis canadensis is in the bean family (Fabaceae). The flowers and immature seed pods are edible. Flowers have a sweet floral taste and the pods’ taste resembles snow peas.

GROWING CONDITIONS:

• SOIL:  Moist, average, well-drained soil

• SUNLIGHT:  Full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight) to partial shade (2-6 hours of direct sunlight)

• HEIGHT/WIDTH:  15-20’ tall and 10-15’ wide

• ZONES:  5a-9b

‘Troja Black’ Georgia Bush Honeysuckle

Diervilla rivularis ‘Troja Black’

There are three species in the genus Diervilla with D. rivularis (Georgia Bush Honeysuckle) being the rarest. Georgia bush honeysuckle is endemic to the southern Appachians, and is rare in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, while extirpated (locally extinct) in North Carolina. The Caprifoliaceae family also includes weigela and honeysuckle (Lonicera). Its common name can cause some confusion as it’s not closely related to the vining honeysuckle most gardeners are familiar with. Instead, it is a suckering shrub that can grow into a dense mound via rhizomes and reach only 3-5’ tall and wide. 

‘Troja Black’ is a variety of Georgia bush honeysuckle noted for dark purple newly emerged leaves that turn dark green in summer. The dark foliage is a beautiful backdrop for the lemony-yellow blooms to pop. The tubular blooms are present throughout summer (June-September) and attract bees, butterflies, mothers, and hummingbirds. The blooms give way to seed capsules which lend no ornamental value. Fall color is a mix of bright reds and oranges and makes a great substitute for burning bush.

‘Troja Black’ is an easy, hands-off shrub to grow as it can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, moisture levels, and sunlight conditions. Would work well as a shrub in a pollinator garden, as a low wildlife hedge, or at the edge of a woodland or streambank. If pruning is necessary to create a tidier shrub, prune in early spring by only 1/3. Flowers are present on new growth and pruning during the growing season will remove the potential for blooms.

Pronounced “deer-villa”, which is a nice reminder that this shrub is resistant to deer browsing, but as with everything, deer may feed on it if other food sources are scarce.

NAME:  

Genus is named after Marin Dierevilla, a French botanist and travel writer who introduced the plant to Europe in 1700 after a trip to Acadia (present-day Canada).

NATIVE RANGE:  

The species (Diervilla rivularis) is found in moist wooded areas and along roadsides in southern Appalachians in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama–naturally it’s a rare find!

FUN FACT:  

Common names for Diervilla rivularis include: Georgia bush honeysuckle, mountain bush honeysuckle, and hairy bush honeysuckle. D. rivularis’ undersides of leaves and young branchlets are pubescent (hairy) and is used as an aid in identifying it alongside Diervilla sessilifolia.

GROWING CONDITIONS:

• SOIL:  Handles a wide range of soils from heavy clay to sandy soil, alkaline to acidic, dry to wet.

• SUNLIGHT:  Full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight) to partial sun.  For best flower display and leaf color place in an area that gets at least a few hours of direct sunlight.

• HEIGHT/WIDTH:  4-5’ tall and wide

• ZONES:  5-8

For sizes, prices, and current stock, see our Tree and Shrub Availability Page: https://www.paintersgreenhouse.com/tree-shrub-availability