Cercis occidentalis
Cercis occidentalis
- Native to:
- United States
iNaturalist: © connieruth (iNaturalist #233034905)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Cercis
- Species:
- Cercis occidentalis
Growth Characteristics
- Growth Habit:
- Tree , Shrub
- Height:
- 500 cm
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- feb,mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, magenta, purple
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Io moth (Automeris io)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Xylocopa sonorina, Xylocopa tabaniformis, Yellow-faced bumble (Bombus vosnesenskii) Moths:Oedemasia Packard
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow, red
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire or top-kill. Common in fire-adapted California chaparral and woodland communities.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have hard coat requiring scarification via hot water soak or mechanical abrasion before cold stratification. Germination improved with scarification plus cold-moist stratification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI