Is Redbud Wood Good for Anything? (14 Facts With Pictures)

There are quite a few different species of Redbud trees in existence. These include the Western Redbud, Eastern Redbud, Chain Flowered Redbud, Ching’s Redbud, and Ace of Hearts among several others.
However, the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is the most popular. It has a reddish-brown bark color with a scaly surface.
In most cases, the color of the tree gets darker as it ages. At age 10, the Eastern Redbud tree has an average height of 16ft – 30ft and a diameter of 6 inches to 10 inches. Its branches are light brown and its heart-shaped leaves are dark green in color.
For everyone looking for wood with versatile use, Redbud readily comes to mind. The structure and composition make it an ideal wood for various domestic uses and a handful of industrial purposes.
Below is a list of relevant facts that you should know about redbud wood and the immense value that you can get from it.
1. Is Redbud Softwood or Hardwood?
Redbud is a hardwood. As a result of its size and habitat, redbud tends to develop into a massive log of hardwood to withstand the action of wind and rain.
Eastern redbud can grow to a height of 15ft to 30ft, giving it an average mass of 35 lb per cubic foot.
There’s usually a need to season redbud before using it for firewood because of its density.
2. What Grain and Color Are Redbud Wood?
As the name implies, Redbud is a reddish-brown mass of wood. It has streaks of red and yellow across the surface, giving it a unique coloration.
Redbud is a fine-grained wood with straight constructs. Some owners have reported that it is quite hard to carve, largely due to its size.
3. How Does Redbud Wood Dry?
There are several ways to dry a redbud wood. Air drying is the most common method among people who collect redbud logs for personal use.
If you are dealing with redbud for industrial or commercial use, air-drying redbud wood may take too long for economic viability. It is better to dry it up in a kiln.
When drying your redbud, it is best to apply a layer of protective coating to prevent the drying wood from cracking or shattering.
Applying a layer of insecticide can also keep insects at bay.
4. How Well Does Redbud Wood Glue?
Redbud behaves like every other hardwood. It is highly responsive to gluing.
Moreover, private owners can use it in carving and some other woodwork because of its flexibility with adhesives.
Over the years, several craftsmen have used redbud wood in small ornamental projects that resulted in completely stunning crafts and woodwork.
5. How Workable is Redbud Wood?
Due to its relatively small size compared to the average log of wood, redbud is hardly used for major commercial purposes.
But it is also great for simple private woodwork.
The dimensions limit its use in high-end furniture work. However, you can still use it for some smaller-scale work.
The wood has a straight grain that makes it quite appealing to work with.
Moreover, working with redbud is quite easy. It hardly cracks, no matter how dried it becomes.
6. How Much Does Redbud Wood Cost?
You hardly get redbud logs on the market.
In most cases, you can only get redbud wood from private owners who want to sell their logs. For this reason, there is no standard cost per foot.
Log owners offer the wood at prices that work best for them.
7. Does Redbud Wood Smell?
Redbud trees have a naturally great smell. It is one of the widely recognized ornamental plants that blossoms in spring every year.
The sweet fragrance makes it popular with private homeowners.
8. Is it Legal to Cut Down a Redbud Tree?
Redbud wood is not a threatened species. Moreover, several homes across the world have one or more redbud trees on their property.
As a result of its agile seeds, the tree can easily propagate and dominate a mass of land. For this reason, it is generally not illegal to cut a redbud tree.
9. How Well Can You Use Redbud Wood for Furniture?
Redbud wood is not ideal for furniture work due to its size.
Getting the logs in commercial quantity is not economical. However, private owners can use their logs for small furniture projects that do not require lengthy planks.
Alternatively, redbud can be combined with other hardwood to create amazing pieces of furniture.
10. Is Redbud Wood Toxic?
Besides the use of redbud for ornamental purposes, some people consume redbud flowers.
The wood does not contain any form of toxin that may be harmful to humans. It is one of the most popular spring trees used for decorations across the world.
11. How Do You Season Redbud Firewood?
Seasoning redbud wood should be done in spring due to the time it takes to complete the process.
Seasoning your wood is basically a process of slow-drying your logs until all moisture content evaporates.
To do this correctly, simply follow the stacking procedure. Here’s how:
- Chop the logs to speed up the process
- Place the logs with their barks faced up in a prepared place, preferably in the open air
- Allow enough spaces between the stacked logs to give room for adequate airflow
- Use a tarp to cover the logs if it is raining (also, ensure that the logs have limited contact with all sources of moisture to prevent decay)
12. The Challenges of Redbud Wood
The log is susceptible to insect attack. This may lead to holes in the truck.
Besides, the bark covers a large portion of the wood, significantly reducing the useful part of the log.
13. How to Store Redbud Wood for Future Use
It is best to keep your redbud wood in a clean, dry part of the house. Ensure that it is nowhere near any source of moisture and well protected from potential insect infestations.
When stacking the wood, it is best to arrange them in a way that allows free airflow. Air would help keep the wood dry and prevent moisture from damaging the logs.
14. Can You Burn Redbud Wood?
Redbud is great for fireplaces. It burns slowly with no spark.
But as the tree gets older, it tends to hollow out. As a result, you won’t get enough wood to make the fire if you are using an older tree.
You can mix redbud with other species of wood to increase the volume of logs available for your fireplace.
Wrapping Up
Redbud is not an economically viable tree that can be grown for commercial purposes. But individuals who are passionate about woodwork may find it valuable, especially when it is used alongside other types of wood.
Besides, redbud makes a great log for fireplaces as well as minimalist crafts.