Vanilla Twist Redbud

The Vanilla Twist Redbud is a unique white flowering and weeping form of the well-known redbud tree, and a great addition to any garden, even the smallest. It forms a slender column of cascading branches that reach to the ground, and is only 8 feet wide when mature. Left alone it is about 12 feet tall, but could be made taller with additional staking, if you wished. In a unique twist, the flowers are pure-white, giving this tree a cool elegance when in bloom. Flowers come early, before just about anything else in the garden, and look great out on a lawn, or among your beds of still-sleeping shrubs. It could even be trained to grow across a wall, taking up no significant space at all. The leaves are glossy, rich green and heart-shaped, and they turn soft yellow in fall. The cascade of branches are elegantly zig-zagged, and look handsome when bare in winter.

• Striking fully-weeping form makes a slender column of branches
• Just 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide – ideal for shrub beds or a small lawn
• Cascade of white flowers on the bare stems in early spring
• Handsome heart-shaped leaves turn glowing yellow in fall
• The only white-flowering and weeping redbud in existence

You can plant your Vanilla Twist Redbud in any well-drained soil, from sand to clay, and acidic to alkaline. Grow it in full sun, or, in hot zones, with a little afternoon shade – too much shade will reduce blooming. Be sure to choose the right spot when you plant, as this is a tree that is hard to transplant once it has become established. Taking up little space, it is ideal to tuck into that awkward space between other established shrubs – the one that has been bothering you for a while. Deer don’t eat it and it doesn’t have any notable pest or disease problems. Pruning isn’t needed, and it is best to let this tree develop its natural weeping and twisting form.