Vanilla Twist Redbud

Some of our garden plants are chance discoveries, something stumbled on that marks an improvement on what already exists. Others are the result of incredible patience and care. Take the Vanilla Twist Redbud. This striking ornamental plant, with its weeping branches, handsome foliage, and remarkable snow-white blooms, is unique among redbuds for that combination. It didn’t happen by chance, though, not at all. Timothy Brotzman took great care and a lot of effort to create it, a process that took 20 years of patience, from the first seedlings to the final plant. In an age of instant gratification, how many of us would wait so long to see the fruition of an idea? Fortunately for all we gardeners, Mr Brotzman did, and gave us a wonderful and unique small tree to decorate a lawn in a small home, or to place in shrub beds as a striking highlight. A real stunner, and not demanding at all, his lovely plant will lighten up your garden while everything else is still sleeping, and give you a unique and elegant weeping column of rich green for the summer months. Who could ask for more? Using the Vanilla Twist Redbud in Your Garden Weeping trees are always captivating, and you can plant your Vanilla Twist Redbud out on the lawn as a specimen, or tuck it among smaller shrubs in a bed. Use it to fill gaps in an established planting, or grow it on a slop, where its cascading branches will eventually flow across the ground. It could even be grown for many years in a large tub, looking great in a courtyard garden, or on your terrace. You could also grow it flat against a wall, spreading out the branches so it covers a larger area, and then letting the side-growths cascade downwards. Growing the Vanilla Twist Redbud Size and Appearance The unique Vanilla Twist Redbud begins with upright branches, but these soon reverse direction and become pendulous, sweeping down to the ground, and often twisting in a picturesque fashion. You can increase the height by staking up new, upright branches, or just allow your tree to grow naturally – it is sure to be delightful and unique. A tree will typically grow to around 8 feet tall, but may be as much as 12 feet in time, and be between 6 and 8 feet wide – a beautiful specimen indeed. The bark is rough like sandpaper, and a dark brown to near-black. On the main trunk orange fissures may develop. Branches are zig-zag, and often twisted and irregular, which makes a great show in winter. The leaves appear after flowering is over, and are large, 5 or 6 inches long and wide, with a smooth, slightly glossy surface and they are a rich green. In fall they turn bright yellow. They are heart-shaped, making a charming summer effect. Flowering comes early, and this is one of the very first plants to bloom. It may be as early as March, or as late as May, depending on where you garden. The flowers are carried on the bare branches, and also on the stems, giving a very profuse flowering. They are pure snowy-white, small, about ½ inch long, in clusters of 6 to 8, sitting directly on the branches and even pushing straight out of the trunk and larger stems. They look like the flowers of pea plants (they are in the same plant family) and make up in profusion, for what they lack in size. Blooming is always prolific and spectacular. After flowering, and visible when the leaves fall, brown woody pods, 2 to 3 inches long, develop, adding an interesting touch to the winter look of your tree. Note that the seeds are not edible. Hardiness The Vanilla Twist Redbud will grow well in zones 5 to 8. In zone 9 it is best to plant it with some afternoon shade. Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions For maximum flowering, choose a spot in full sun to plant your Vanilla Twist Redbud. It grows in almost any well-drained soil, and is unaffected by acidic or alkaline conditions. A richer, moist soil is best, but it grows well in everything from sand to clay, although you should avoid planting in areas of wet clay. Add some rich compost when planting, and notice that this plant is difficult to transplant once it has become established, so be sure you choose the right spot. Water new plants regularly, but once established it has good drought resistance, and will only need water during extended hot periods. Maintenance and Pruning The Vanilla Twist Redbud is easy to grow and needs no special care. It isn’t normally eaten by deer, and has few serious pests or diseases. Even if it should suffer some caterpillar attacks in summer, new growth the following year will be entirely normal and vigorous. It doesn’t need pruning, and is best left to develop its own unique form, which will always be weeping, but may vary a little. You can leave stems trailing on the ground, once they reach it, or trim them back a little, as you choose. If you should need to trim for some reason, do it in late winter, before or just after blooming. History and Origin of the Vanilla Twist Redbud Redbud trees are sometimes called Judas trees because it has been suggested that this was the tree that Jesus’ disciple Judas Iscariot hung himself on after his betrayal. That would have been the European species, Cercis siliquastrum. There is also an Asian species, but trees grown in our gardens are almost all forms of the main North American species, Cercis canadensis, known as the Eastern redbud. It grows at the edges of forests, in open woods, and along the banks of streams in a large area, from southern Ontario in Canada all the way to the northern parts of Florida, and westward into Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and northern Mexico. Many insects depend on it for pollen early in the season, since it flowers well before almost any other tree. Timothy Charles Brotzman owns Brotzman’s Nursery in Madison, Ohio. An established wholesale nursery, Timothy also enjoys breeding plants. In 1998 he began a project to develop a white, weeping redbud. He planted together a white variety, ‘Royal White’ alongside a pendulous one called ‘Covey’. He built an insect-proof cage around them, and introduced bees inside, to pollinate just those two trees. Then he collected the seeds and grew the seedlings. It is well known in plant genetics that after crossing two plants differences will show up in the second, not the first, generation. So, after growing them to flowering size, he put the seedling trees in a similar cage and introduced bees again. Then he collected the seeds and grew those seedlings. In 2008, 20 years later, he was rewarded with a tree that was pendulous and had white flowers – the first one ever seen. He was granted a patent in 2012 on his tree, which he named ‘Vanilla Twist’. Buying the Vanilla Twist Redbud at the Tree Center Now you too can enjoy this unique redbud, the result of 20 years patience. We have some lovely young plants of the Vanilla Twist Redbud in stock, ready to grow in your garden. The perfect smaller specimen plant, the unique combination of weeping habit and white flowers is sure to please, and make a wonderful showing in your garden. Plus, it is very easy to grow. You couldn’t ask for more, so place your order now and enjoy this fabulous plant in your own garden – we have only a limited number of plants available.