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Cercis canadensis

L.

Eastern Redbud

G5Secure Found in 60 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1311778
Element CodePDFAB0U020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusCercis
Other Common Names
eastern redbud (EN) Gainier rouge (FR) Redbud (EN)
Concept Reference
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 11. Magnoliophyta: Fabaceae, parts 1+2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvii + 1108 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
This record represents the narrow concept of Cercis canadensis, not including C. occidentalis and C. orbiculata following Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2023).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-04-04
Change Date1984-02-29
Edition Date2025-04-04
Edition AuthorsEberly and Nordman (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a small tree of the eastern United States, Canada, and northern Mexico. The historical natural occurrences are extirpated from Ontario, Canada. This species is wide ranging with thousands of occurrences. Threats to Eastern Redbud are likely low in overall impact, these include fragmentation and loss of habitat due to residential development and urbanization, and competition from invasive exotic plants.
Range Extent Comments
Cercis canadensis occurs in the eastern United States, Canada, and northern Mexico from Massachusetts, New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania northwest to southern Michigan, southwest into southeastern Nebraska, south to central Texas and northern Mexico (Nuevo León, Tamaulipas), and east to central Florida. The historical natural occurrences are extirpated from Ontario, Canada. Range extent was estimated to be 5 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023 (FNA 2023, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2023).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, there are estimated to be thousands occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats to Eastern Redbud are likely low in overall impact, these include fragmentation and loss of habitat due to residential development and urbanization, and competition from invasive exotic plants.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Cercis canadensis grows in limestone forests or forest edge, and on bluffs and in canyons (FNA 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - HardwoodForest - MixedForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedCliff
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
West VirginiaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
IndianaS5Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
ConnecticutSHYes
IllinoisSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
DelawareSHYes
TennesseeSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
FloridaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
KentuckySNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
IowaS4Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
New YorkSNANo
TexasSNRYes
CanadaNX
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioSXYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, DECIDUOUS, SPRING-FLOWERING
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (60)
Alabama (2)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Arkansas (8)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Indian CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,855
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Georgia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clear SpringsShawnee National Forest11
Indiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mogan RidgeHoosier National Forest8,435
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (6)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (22)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Dolly AnnGeorge Washington National Forest7,855
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Little AlleghanyGeorge Washington National Forest10,215
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
West Virginia (7)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 11. Magnoliophyta: Fabaceae, parts 1+2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvii + 1108 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  6. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).