Cercis canadensis 'Merlot' has wonderful dark red, heart-shaped foliage and colourful bright pink flowers. The flowers appear in clusters on bare branches around May and are a favourite with wildlife. The large, glossy leaves have hints of green when they mature, providing a wonderful tapestry of purples, red and greens. This abundance of features can be attributed to its parent varieties, 'Forest Pansy' and 'Texas White'.

Expect this small tree or large shrub to reach a height and spread of 4 x 4 metres in 20 years.