Project Overview
One of the most iconic native North American trees is the eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis. This tree is one of the earlier flowering forest trees in the spring. Because it is beautiful when in flower, it has become a widespread ornamental tree in the USA and elsewhere around the world.
In 2023, we added western redbud, Cercis occidentalis, to this campaign to better understand the phenology of redbuds in the western US.
We are interested in answering the following questions:
1. When do eastern redbud trees flower and fruit across the tree's range?
2. How does the timing of these events vary across geography and elevation?
3. Has the timing of flowering and fruiting advanced in recent years?
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How to Participate
Join Nature's Notebook and select one or more redbud trees to track. Observe flowering and fruiting ideally 2–3 times per week during spring, summer, and fall, and log your data in Nature's Notebook. Need help getting started? Take the Observer Certification Course or watch this recorded webinar
The Redbud Phenology Project Species
- eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- western redbud (Cercis occidentalis)
Top 10 Contributing Programs
Local Phenology Programs with the most observation records submitted this year.
| # | Program | Observations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UVM Phenology | 3,090 |
| 2 | Salisbury University | 2,788 |
| 3 | Olbrich Botanical Gardens | 1,588 |
| 4 | Bowmans Hill Wildflower Preserve Phenology Project | 1,564 |
| 5 | Smithsonian Environmental Research Center | 1,370 |
| 6 | The Morton Arboretum | 1,358 |
| 7 | Lincoln Park Zoo Arboretum Phenology Program | 1,169 |
| 8 | Daniel Stowe Conservancy | 1,110 |
| 9 | ArlingtonRegionalMN | 1,100 |
| 10 | Washington Square Park Phenology | 868 |
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Research team
Jorge Santiago-Blay, National Museum of Natural History and Penn State York
Questions about this effort? Contact Dr. Jorge Santiago-Blay, National Museum of Natural History and Penn State York.