The Rising Sun Redbud
Cercis canadensis ‘JN2’ PP24451

Plant Details

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Flowering Tree

Height at Maturity: 15-20′

Width at Maturity: 15′

Spacing: 20′ or more for space between trees

Growth Habit / Form: Upright

Growth Rate: Fast

Flower Color: Bright Purple

Flower Size: Small Flowers in Long Clusters

Flowering Period: Late Winter

Flower Type: Single, in Clusters

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Apricot, Bright Golden Yellow, Tangerine, Bright Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 6.5 – 8.0 (Slightly Acidic to Slightly Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Very Low when left in it’s natural form

Attracts: Visual Attention, Songbirds, Hummingbirds

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Heat, Insect, Drought

Description

An unrivaled foliage and flower color factory spring through fall, the Rising Sun is hands down our favorite of all the Redbud varieties we have growing in our gardens. The incredible color show starts in spring when clusters of bright purple, pea-like flowers cover the branches. Just as the flowers begin to fade you’ll notice the emergence of vivid apricot new leaves that quickly turn to an eye-catching bright golden-yellow, then to chartreuse and finally to a medium green. The orange new leaves continue to come throughout the spring and early summer for a multi-color effect that will blow your socks off! The fastest growing redbud. By mid-summer the leaves turn to light and medium green and then finally to a vivid bright yellow in fall.

We’ve had The Rising Sun Redbud growing in our own gardens since 2013 and it has demonstrated excellent heat and sun tolerance, drought tolerance, heavy periods of rainfall, you name it…this tree has thrived through everything our north-central Georgia climate has thrown at it.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, the Rising Sun Redbud is ideal for use as a focal point specimen or in groupings in sunny or shady landscape or woodland borders. Also nice to frame the corners of tall homes and to provide beauty and some shade around patios, porches and other outdoor living spaces. A fine addition to yellow or orange theme gardens and sunny or partially shaded woodlands

Suggested Spacing: 20 feet or more for space between trees

Growing Preferences

The Rising Sun Redbud tree is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and full sun or shade. We haven’t grown this one in a lot of shade so not sure if shade has an effect on the foliage color? The tree in our gardens receives about 6 hours of direct sunlight from late morning to late afternoon and puts on a spectacular color show. Standing water or constantly soggy or wet soils are problematic.

Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop screens or below on mobile phones.

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

I bought this for my daughter and husband’s anniversary gift and was told it came exceptional packaged and it was thriving. Only a couple days after planting it started to put out new growth! We cannot wait until spring when it starts to bloom its gorgeous color.——————————————Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope your daughter and her husband enjoy it for years to come! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I was hesitant in buying an online tree, but my Rising Sun arrived in a very sturdy box in a well packed pot and everything was securely tied down. I dug a $100 hole (as my grandad would say) that was backfilled with a 50/50 mix of potting soil and native soil, then planted my tree and topped it off with a large ring of semi-composted wood chips. The tree was then watered every other day with a bucket of water from our pond. It looked pretty sad for 2 weeks, but then I noticed small buds starting to pop out and the original leaves started to perk up. It’s been 2 months now, and while it is not going gang-busters, it looks healthy and is growing steadily. This tree is not available locally but I am glad I found Wilson Bros. and would happily buy from them again.—————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

So happy with my purchase. My Rising Sun RB was packaged with tender loving care and arrived in great shape. It seems to be happy in its new home.
Thank you for taking such good care of your plants and for taking the time to ensure they arrive safely.—————————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The tree arrived quickly and safely. It had many branches and lots of leaves, and was around 5 feet tall. Very happy with my first purchase from Wilson Bros and I will be ordering more.———————————————————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

We saw this gorgeous tree while visiting Alabama and couldn’t wait to get one for our yard. The tree came packaged nicely and we planted it immediately, watered it daily, and it is growing beautifully.———————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

My large back yard was all green and needed some color. Rising Sun Redbud was the answer. A beautiful tree, well packaged with moist soil. When fully mature it will be just the right size to avoid bad windstorms, which have taken most of my large oak trees. I highly recommend the Rising Sun Redbud and Wilson Bros. Gardens.———————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

The Rising Sun Redbud you sent was only slightly beaten up by its journey thanks in large part to the excellent packaging. It seems healthy enough and is recovering nicely from the trip. I can’t wait to see what happens next year.—————————–Sorry it had a rough trip…but glad it’s recovering. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

This was my first time ordering from Wilson Bros. We ordered 4 trees/shrubs, all 3 gallon sizes. All were packed really well for shipping. I was pleased by how quickly they arrived and how well-preserved the plants were upon arrival. I will absolutely order again from Wilson Bros.
The Rising Sun Redbud was the largest of the 4 plants we received. Two of longest branches were snapped about 1 foot to the end, but the tree was much taller than I expected so not a serious complaint. I got it in the ground about a week after delivery. The tree was dormant when it arrived and its already putting out leaves. Looking great so far!—————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

The tree arrived carefully packaged and bigger than expected. I have planted it where I can see it from my favorite reading spot and it makes me very excited for spring.—————————————-We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Thank You, we received our tree Sunday, planted it right away it was in perfect condition also want to Thank the young lady that took our order she was very professional, she did a great job helping us thanks again.———————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Purchased this tree early last spring and it is doing great. The partially broke one of the branches of pretty good size. It was just barley hanging on. I got some duck tape and taped it back up. My husband said that was never going to work….that was early this spring and the branch is still alive and it is just turning into fall.———————————————–Hi Marie, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the The Rising Sun Redbud. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! So glad your branch is okay! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

My tree (The Rising Sun….Redbud) arrived wel-packaged. This tree was in wonderful condition and is doing very well. Thanks, Wilson Bros.for the great job!———————————-Hi Ronda, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the The Rising Sun Redbud Tree. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

I bought this tree last fall and planted right before a big freeze. I was worried it would die due to the shock of transplant and weather change from Georgia to Missouri. It just came to life this Spring!———————————WBG Reply: Hi Steven, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the The Rising Sun Redbud Tree. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

Pre-purchase information and advice from the Wilsons were very helpful. The two Rising Sun Redbuds arrived as scheduled and in excellent condition. This was an October delivery, so the two trees were already proceeding toward winter dormancy. They were promptly planted as directed, one in a full-sun location, and the other in partial shade. By early November, the remaining leaves had dropped. So, I won’t be able to tell any more about them until spring. Contact me again in six or seven months if you would like to have an update. Hope I won’t need to change the five-star rating. ———————— WBG Reply: Hi Paul – Thanks so much for your review of the Rising Sun Redbud trees and we hope you enjoy them for years to come as much as we do the specimen in our gardens. Our favorite of all the redbuds! Fall is a great time to plant them so yours should be fine. Keep us posted as to how they do in spring and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

We recently moved to East Tennessee from SW Florida and are enjoying the many beautiful varieties of redbuds here. The Rising Sun is one of my favorites–the bright, colorful leaves are stunning. The tree was packaged perfectly and the straight, healthy tree arrived in fine condition. Lost a few leaves initially, but new growth is appearing at the top after only 2 weeks. Wilson Bros product customer service is also exceptional. I will definitely order from them again. ———————- WBG Reply: Hi Teresa – Thanks so much for providing your review of the Rising Sun Redbud and for the compliments. Large leaved tree usually loose a few leaves during transit in a dark box but as you noticed will replace those leaves with new growth once planted and back in the light:-) I have many varieties of redbud in my gardens and my favorite is The Rising Sun Redbud. Yopu’re right, the leaves truly are stunning. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

The tree was a great choice where I wanted a small tree for full sun. The leaves are gorgeous. It arrived in great condition. The trunk was straight and as advertised. This tree is very special and unusual. ———————— WBG Reply: Hi Monty – Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Rising Sun Redbud, and for the compliments! We couldn’t agree more with you in that this is a very special tree! We thoroughly enjoy the tree in our gardens and hope you enjoy yours for years to come. It’s one of those trees your glad goes dormant in winter so you can get excited to see the new leaves emerge in spring. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

I have ordered different plants from Wilson Bros and I must say they always send out their best. My Rising Sun Redbuds arrived healthy and well packaged. I cant wait to see them bloom in spring. Thank you Wilson Bros you guys are great. —————— WBG Reply: Hi Ricardo – Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review. It’s been our pleasure serving you. The blooms on the Rising Sun Redbud are spectacular but wait until you see the leaves:-) Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

The Rising Sun Redbud Wilson Bros. shipped to me is a healthy, robust, spectacular tree. Wilson Bros. answered all my questions about their stock before I ordered. They are incredibly knowledgeable and their customer support is as spectacular as the Rising Sun! Wilson Bros. staff were extremely helpful before, during after my purchase. Wilson Bros. customer service is the highest quality and so is the tree they shipped to me. ———- WBG Response: Hi Joyce – Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review and for all the compliments! It makes everything we do even more worth the while. It was our pleasure to serve you. Am looking very forward to getting the Crambe plants you kindly offered and trying them out here in north central Georgia. We’ll keep our fingers crossed. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service. Plant long and prosper! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

I bought this tree as a replacement for a tree I had to have removed. It was an old tree which had grown on a slant and was now too close to my house. With the recent storms I was afraid the old tree would crash into the house at some point. I noticed 2 types of the redbud growing in my neighborhood and liked the way they look and decided to find one as a replacement. During my search I ran across the rising sun and immediately fell in love with the colorful leaves and decided to purchase it. It arrived promptly in good shape and I was pleased. I planted it immediately and it appears to be doing well so far. The only thing that worries me a little is, it seems to have attracted a leaf cutter bee. I didn’t have this problem with the old tree, but I researched info on this and found it shouldn’t do harm with the tree. If this is wrong, more info would be appreciated. Other than that I am satisfied with my purchase. It’s only been planted for about 2-3 weeks so I can’t give it 5 stars. I’ll have to see how it does through the season. ——- WBG Reply: Hi Venus – Thanks so much for taking the time to provide a review. Glad to hear your Rising Sun Redbud is doing well. We’ve got one that’s several years old…it’s tripled in size and is doing spectacular. We haven’t noticed any serious insect problems on ours. That said, it’s much larger now and a few leaves might have some minor damage from a random caterpillar or two (usually the tussock moth larvae in our area). This happens to all the redbuds and most other trees in our gardens, but the damaged leaves don’t really stand out among the large number of untouched leaves. When a tree is younger and much smaller, any damage to just a few leaves will show up more. If over half of a leaf on a young tree is damaged I usually snip the leaf off at it’s base. Keep us posted as to how your Rising Sun does over the long term and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens

We had to replace a sago palm we had given away and needed something narrow or treeform to replace it. Not many things are less than 15 feet tall, zone 9, and a native tree so ‘Rising Sun’ redbud was a perfect fit. We ordered ours at the end of May/start of June to a location in North Florida, Zone 9a-9b. Tree arrived intact and healthy (some of the leaves were damaged but this isn’t really avoidable when shipping plants). The price is also quite competitive based on other nurseries I looked at (it’s apparently hard to get this cultivar because it is very patented). We planted ours within a day or two of its arrival and it already has some new growth and seems to be doing fine despite being planted during June in Florida. It’s planted next to our driveway in full sun* and the unique reddish gradient growth looks great alongside our coontie cycads, orange coneflowers, and blue&black salvias. The leaves might look kind of “droopy” if it receives a lot of Deep South afternoon sun in the summer, I see this even on mature/well-established plants where I live. This is probably because wild redbuds in the Eastern US generally grow as “understory trees” so take that into account when planting. As long as they receive plenty of moisture this is mostly just an aesthetic issue (ours is planted in afternoon sun and is doing fine but I live very close to the coast in an area with plenty of wetlands so that might be why) but it is something to consider. ———— WBG REPLY: Hi Avery – Thanks so much for taking the time to post a review and share the extra information you did about The Rising Sun Redbud. We’ve had a Rising Sun growing in our own gardens here in north-central Georgia for about 4 years and absolutely love it. Out of the five redbud varieties we have in the gardens it’s the top performer, and no doubt gets the most attention from visitors. We planted in a site that receives quite a bit of direct sun (from about 9am to 4pm) and it’s doing fine. But the sun here isn’t as close to the earth as it is in central Florida so you’re probably right about it appreciating some shade or filtered sun during the hottest part of Florida afternoons. Keep us posted as to how it does over the long term there in Florida and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent Wilson | Wilson Bros Gardens