I have an old redbud with a very bent trunk that used to have many large trees around it, keeping the canopy small. With all the large trees removed 5 years ago, the canopy has grown large and shades my vegetable gardens too early in the day. It’s beautiful in bloom and drives me insane leafed out. We’ve pruned out a lot of lower growth the last 2 years, but it’s still a problem. I want to cut it back to a 2-3’ trunk (relatively straight there) and wondering if i should wait and see if it will sucker/regrow from that, or if I can graft some of it back into the trunk? Multiple bark grafts? That would be instead of buying a new tree to start over in the corner that has a lot of tree roots from a maple 3’ away. Anyone with experience/thoughts about this? What would be the best time of year to try?
I can find basic info on grafting redbuds but not much on this specific idea.
To whomever mentioned to me on another thread I can’t find that redbuds coppice- thank you. I was super excited to see mine starting to regrow. It was cut down late winter. Only issue being that I let my tree guy convince me to leave a much taller trunk to help fill in the space above the fence faster (hideous, unfiltered view of old neighbor houses/unkempt weed yards with my old trees gone.) He cut it around 3.5’. I’m going to be all over pruning this exactly how I want it after more shoots come up and I want to graft my red leafed one back to it next year so it’s a mix of straight native and whatever that one is (forest pansy or something?).
Redbud has been vigorously sending out shoots. I pulled off a lot before this picture and then removed most of what is coming off the trunk after. I originally thought I would leave maybe 3 shoots near the top evenly spaced to have the existing trunk and then bushier upper, and graft my red-leaved one and one of those cool green to white leaves ones I don’t know the name, but changed my mind. I like the big thick shoot coming from the base. I think this winter I will cut off the rest of trunk and just let that be the new tree.
The new redbud is growing beautifully. There was a ton of main trunk growth that I slowly removed over the summer as the tree I liked grew. I was leaving one major 1” shoot as a backup tree, but it snapped off as I was pruning the tree today. The branches on the new tree grew INSANELY FAST. They were 7+’ long on each side and bottom up have been breaking off from the weight before I could get to them, leaving what is now 5 gaping holes in the trunk, but the lowest one is already healing nicely. I cut 2-3’ off each branch today along with another lower branch. the leader looks 9’ (6’ fence). I plan on keeping the whole things around 12. I won’t cut the old trunk for at least another year as it’s needed as a stake.
is that from a root sucker or a branch from the trunk?
Looks great, I love redbuds, really nice looking flowers in early spring. Also available in many colors and their flowers are edible too (taste like pea shoots ), though it would be hard to get a large volume of them so probably better for use as a garnish
This new tree was one of the most vigorous shoots that came up from the roots right near the back base. I agree that they are beautiful in bloom and I love their heart shaped leaves. We have only taken a few flowers from my other one that is reachable.
Flamethrower looks amazing. I’ve seen them for sale around me but often around 200 for a 2-3 year old tree.
Have also seen nice purple leaf varieties.
I just have the OG variety in front of my house. It’s a really fast grower. Will probably get some of the cultivars if I have a lot of space for trees.
They are also very adaptable and can be understory trees in a forest or in full sun.
Flame Thrower is very stunning. Most of you in zone 7 should be ok. Not hardy here in zone 5. Might find one hanging around until a very cold winter. They freeze back and throw up big long shoots from the ground that are stunning but unfortunately less hardy than the original tree.
We would grow a redbud seedling strain where the mother tree was living in Minneapolis. It made a big difference for us. Seed provenance makes a big difference.
A green and white varigated is Alley Cat
Purple leaf standard is Forest Pansy
Purple leaf weeper is Ruby falls.
Green leaf weeper is Lavender Twist.
Appalachian red has lots of flowers and is darker in color.
Alba is white flowering.
There are lots of others but those are the old standards. Lots of new ones have come out, but most aren’t hardy in zone 6.
The purple ones won’t be purple unless in full sun.
They like full sun and will decline when shaded. They are some of the first trees to populate open areas, like dogwoods, crabapple, and hawthorne, and then the other forest trees come in and shade them out, and they exist in the under story for a while or on the edges.
We use to train ones that winter killed into multi stem trees which are nice but not what Eme wants.
