About
Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' is a sizable deciduous shrub or a small tree, typically reaching up to 4 meters in height and often exhibiting multiple stems. The leaves, which can grow to 12 centimeters wide, are broadly heart-shaped, displaying a rich red-purple hue that shifts to green during the summer months, before transforming into shades of orange, bronze, and red-purple in the fall. In spring, clusters of deep-pink flowers emerge on bare branches prior to leaf development. This cultivar is believed to have greater resilience to drought and heat compared to C. 'Forest Pansy.'
About the genus
Cercis consists of deciduous shrubs or small trees characterized by their heart-shaped foliage. The plants produce clusters of vibrant pink pea-like blossoms that emerge either before or alongside the leaves. After flowering, they develop flattened pods that are deep purple in color.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Clay, Chalk
- Soil pH
- Neutral, Alkaline, Acid
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy, Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 4-8 metres
- Spread
- 4-8 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, moisture-retentive well-drained soil in sun or partial shade; plant in final location when young, older plants resent transplanting. For more information, see tree cultivation
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1 or pruning group 7 if carried out in dry weather in late spring or early summer to deter the entry of decay organisms
- Propagation
- Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to leafhoppers and scale insects
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to verticillium wilt and coral spot