An Emerging Redbud

February 3, 2025

One determined tiny Redbud (Cercis canadensis) trying its best to survive. Emerging from the leaf litter. Hanging out above the leaf of a Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana).

In looking for an answer as to why the leaf of this small seedling would be red and not green, I find an answer in the Las Cruces Sun News. The young leaves of trees contain anthocyanin pigments which we see as red. The anthocyanin has a protective role, helping with cold temperatures, drought and UV radiation.

Hoping you survive through the winter little one. You will add much beauty to our woods.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.