Habit (mature) · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Árbol del amor chino
Cercis chinensis
Un arbusto grande o árbol pequeño caducifolio de varios troncos, nativo del centro de China, cultivado por su densa floración de inicio de primavera con flores rosadas púrpura de la familia de las leguminosas que brotan directamente sobre las ramas y troncos desnudos antes de que se expandan las hojas. Las hojas brillantes, redondeadas y con forma de corazón siguen después, y las vainas planas similares a frijoles maduran y persisten hasta el invierno. Más arbustivo y densamente ramificado que el árbol del amor oriental nativo, constituye un punto focal de primavera compacto para las zonas 6-9.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (44/100)
Focal point
Structure
Pollinator
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
96-180" tall · 69" apart
Hardy in zones
6a-9b
cold to frosty winters
Native in Illinois
No
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Plant support
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Harvest and processing
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A documented larval host for the Io moth — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Cold hardiness
Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
✓
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...
Where this plant fits
Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 38 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today · 2 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests
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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests
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Arizona Mountains forests
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Atlantic coastal pine barrens
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Blue Mountains forests
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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands
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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests
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Central Tallgrass prairie
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Central-Southern Cascades Forests
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Chilean Matorral
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Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Árbol del amor chino (Cercis chinensis). Retrieved 2026, June 13, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/cercis-chinensis
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.