Cercis canadensis 'Golden Falls' (Weeping Redbud)

Cercis canadensis 'Golden Falls' is an ornamental cultivar of eastern redbud tree known for its striking yet compact, weeping habit and bright chartreuse to lime-green leaves. As a redbud, 'Golden Falls' is well known for its cheerful rose-pink blossoms in early spring which persist for several weeks, attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, before its broad, heart-shaped leaves arrive in late Spring. Unlike other varieties, however, 'Golden Falls' produces foliage that starts chartreuse yellow or lime-green before maturing to a rich, dark green shade around mid-summer, adding visual appeal and an ombre effect to their natural weeping habit. Through the summer, much of the plant will appear different shades of green, before fall temperatures turn the foliage turn yellow and gold again.

With wild specimens seen as small understory trees or large multi-stemmed shrubs, Cercis canadensis is slow growing, but can reach twenty or thirty foot heights in the wild; 'Golden Falls' on the other hand is a dwarf cultivar and will mature to a more manageable size of only about 5-8' tall with a narrow spread of just 3-4' wide, making it an ideal specimen selection for smaller spaces or as a foundation planting. As an understory tree in the wild, 'Golden Falls' prefers full sun or partial shade conditions in the home landscape, and prefers moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Like the parent species, this cultivar is also resistant to deer damage and tolerant of black walnut and clay soil types, but does not transplant well once established.