Purple-pink flowers of the redbud bloom profusely in clusters along the twigs and branches of young trees. Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a small-scale tree with ornamental appeal that spans the seasons. A Midwestern native plant, redbud grows just 15 to 25 feet tall, often with a short trunk, and usually with distinctive branching that starts close to the ground.
Redbud's shorter profile makes it easier to appreciate the cloud of purple-pink flowers that bloom profusely in clusters along the twigs and branches of young trees, and sometimes the trunks of older specimens.
One of the first trees abloom in spring, flowers last for weeks when temperatures remain seasonably cool, and produce seed pods that persist through fall.
After the springtime flower show, heart-shaped leaves up to 5 inches across open fully, giving redbud its summertime appeal. Leaves are reddish when they unfurl, glossy green through summer, and occasionally turn a rich yellow in fall. Furrowed, sometimes scaly bark adds interest to winter landscapes.
In native habitats, redbud is an understory tree that grows in partial shade and soil that is naturally rich with decomposing organic matter. In cultivated gardens, redbud feels at home in dappled shade, but performs well in full sun as long as well-drained soil is moist but never soggy.
Considered one of Illinois' best plants, eastern redbud is a cherished springtime star that shines year round.
Peony Prevention
If the shoots and leaves of your peonies developed a fluffy, brownish-gray "mold" and suddenly wilted last season, or the buds turned black and failed to open, your plants may have had botrytis blight, a fungal disease that peonies commonly develop during springs with wet weather.
In addition to moisture, the fungal spores that cause botrytis blight must be present. That's why good sanitation practices - removing and destroying or burying all infected plant material - is the most importance step for preventing a new infection the following growing season.
If your peonies were infected last year, you might consider treating them with fungicides that can only prevent the disease from recurring. To be effective, applications must begin in the spring, when shoots first appear, and continue until flowers begin to open.
For the names of recommended fungicides, call the Plant Information Service at (847) 835-0972. Before using any garden chemicals, read and carefully follow all package instructions.
Cool-season annuals
At the end of a long winter, gardeners often crave color to brighten their landscapes. One of the best ways for instant relief is planting cool-season annuals, plants that tolerate light frost but fade in summer heat.
Cool-season annuals can be planted out in early April after being hardened off. These include snapdragons, sweet peas, English daisies, pot marigolds, African daisies, lobelias, sweet alyssum, forget-me-nots, pouch flowers, baby-blue-eyes, bush violets, and painted tongues.
Wait until the last week of April to plant Shirley, Iceland and California poppies and Persian buttercup.
Hardening off helps homegrown seedlings to slowly adjust to the colder temperatures, brighter sun and wind that plants will face outdoors. The process should start about two weeks before planting time. Begin by moving plants outside for a few hours each day, gradually increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors. Bring plants indoors when frost is predicted.
By the end of two weeks, the stems and leaves of hardened off plants will have thickened, making them ready to plant outside.
Denise Corkery is a writer for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.
