(Chinese Redbud, Don Egolf Redbud)

Larger in leaf and flower than eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), this Chinese native makes a beautiful shrub or small tree for sun or light shade. The bright purple-pink pea-flowers cluster along the upright gray branches in mid-spring, before the large, glossy, heart-shaped leaves emerge. Abundant green seedpods follow the flowers, maturing to brown. The leaves turn dull yellow in fall.

Less cold hardy than eastern redbud, Cercis chinensis shares its preference for well-drained,...

(California Redbud, Western Redbud)

The drought tolerance and intense color make western redbud a top notch tree for dry gardens. It is native to the hill country of California, Arizona and Utah where the dry season can result in no rainfall for as long as six months a year. It prefers conditions from the toe of west facing foothill exposures to middle elevations. This prized member of the dry garden is a multi-stemmed tree in the wild, branching off a large underground woody crown. Its distinctive large heart-shaped leaves are often...

(Chain Flowered Redbud, Pendulous Redbud)

Having the pretty heart-shaped foliage common among all redbuds, this species is unique with its pendent clusters of light pink flowers in mid-spring. Chain flowered redbud is an attractive decidious tree from western China that has a rounded canopy, pretty as a dual-purposed specimen flowering and small shade tree in the landscape.

The grayed sandy brown bark of the branches becomes less interesting in mid-spring once the pastel pink flower buds and glossy light green new leaves emerge. Leaves...

(Flowering Quince)

(Flowering Quince)

(Flowering Quince, Orange Delight Flowering Quince)

In late winter and early spring the hybrid flowering quince, 'Orange Delight', displays vibrant orange-red flowers that attract early-season bees. This medium-sized shrub has a rounded to spreading habit and dense, thorny twigs that make it useful for protective hedges or screens.

Clusters of semi-double, bowl-shaped flowers cover this quince in early spring both before and after the glossy leaves emerge. The simple leaves emerge slightly bronze in spring and turn dark green as the season progresses....

(Flowering Quince)

(Flowering Quince, Toyo-nishiki Flowering Quince)

Noted for its early spring clusters of bowl-shaped flowers in white, coral-pink and light pink, 'Toyo-nishiki' is considered one of the prettiest flowering quinces for the garden. Its buds and blossoms cover the plant while the oval, teethed, green leaves emerge on the zig-zagged, thorny branches. Fragrant yellow, apple-shaped fruits ripen in the fall and are cooked for preserves and jellies, but are not eaten fresh.

Though it grows and flowers best in full sun and well-drained, acidic-to-neutral...

(Japanese Flowering Quince, Maule's Flowering Quince)

Admired for its beautiful spring blooms, Japanese flowering quince is a spiny, compact to medium-sized, deciduous shrub native to Japan. Profuse clusters of small, salmon or orange, bowl-shaped flowers cover the plant very early in spring, before and after its smooth green leaves emerge. These are followed by gnarled, yellowish, apple-shaped fruits that are fully ripe by fall and may be used to make preserves or jelly. Of all the flowering quince species, this is considered the hardiest.

The...

(Japanese Flowering Quince)

A uniformly dwarf, alpine form of standard flowering quince, 'Alpina' is a long-cultivated type selected from seed collected on Japanese islands near Kyushu by the first director of Harvard's Arnold Arboretum, C. S. Sargent. Admired for its beautiful spring blooms, Japanese flowering quince is a spiny, compact to medium-sized, deciduous shrub native to Japan. Profuse clusters of small, salmon or orange, bowl-shaped flowers cover the plant very early in spring, before and after its smooth green leaves...