Cercis form and differences in growth on native trees

3 years ago

OK- so I understand that Cercis 'The Rising Sun' was first discovered as a sport on a species tree discovered in 2006 in Belvidere, Tennessee.

Pictured below are two Cercis that I personally dug up as tiny volunteers in eastern Kentucky back in fall 2007.

As they grew the differences in their form started becoming very apparent. If you can manage to avoid seeing all the unrelated trees you'll notice that tree left (circled red) is more Rising Sun looking (flatter, layered, more compact canopy, larger leaves even) while tree right (circled blue) is a leggy, seed pod covered abomination. If I didn't know better it almost looks extreme enough to be sexual dimorphism. The left has seed pods as well, just not three million of 'em.

Again- I dug up both of these trees myself as volunteers on my own property.

So my questions are- is this extreme difference in form something within normal range, is this an extreme difference, do you think any cross pollination happened from another variety of Cercis? This area isn't know for planting things not available at Lowe's.

I'm just curious.

I'd been noticing this for a couple of years and kept meaning to talk about it to find out if this degree of difference is totally normal or I just found anomaly trees one way or another.

That scraggily one was so ugly, we cut it down yesterday.

Not sorry, lol.

So- isn't this curious?

Just me?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

dbarron
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I suppose you've never seen a family (of humans) that has someone over six foot, tall and lean, and a sibling that is short and fat? Same thing.

This spring, I found a cornus florida that was intent on being a ground cover...all thirty feet of it.
bengz6westmd
3 years ago
Prb'ly mostly genetic differences, tho even so close, soil/conditions can vary. If I look at a hillside of redbuds (common here along roadcuts), I can see considerable difference in form and appearance.
Related Professionals
Elizabeth City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Flagstaff Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sarnia Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Forrest City Landscape Contractors · Fall River Landscape Contractors · Poughkeepsie Landscape Contractors · Fayetteville Home Additions · Ocala Home Additions · Emporia Home Additions · Norfolk Home Additions · Green Bay Home Additions · Chico Home Additions · Temecula Home Additions · Carson City Home Additions · Riverton Home Additions
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
3 years ago
Wild Cercis just seems variable to me. Maybe its a strength where it can adapt?
arbordave (SE MI)
3 years ago
"I dug up both of these trees myself as volunteers on my own property"

So are you saying that these are volunteer seedlings from wild native trees that are on (or near) your property, or are these seedlings from one or more planted trees with unknown provenance(s)? The difference in growth habit strikes me as pretty unusual for seedlings from the same local wild population.
cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky) thanked arbordave (SE MI)
cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
Original Author
3 years ago
"volunteer seedlings from wild native trees that are on (or near) your property,"

This. Wild, native trees.

I have woods on my property that have never been built on, occupied, or otherwise cultivated. The 'neighborhood' is small/average 1950s built working class homes, and I see very little ornamental type gardening around here. If I want anything but a "Red Maple" or an Emerald Green Arborvitae I'm out of luck.

'The difference in growth habit strikes me as pretty unusual for seedlings from the same local wild population."

Thank you.

I thought I was losing my mind when all I got was 'Yeah, they do that." Of course differences in form occur, they can be weird little trees. But I found this difference to be extreme enough to photograph and ask about. It made me curious.