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Planting Redbud on Acidic Soils

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From: Pam Fry City: LaGrange, IL
I just removed a very large Colorado Spruce that was dropping loads of needles for many years so I'm sure the soil below it is very acidic. I would like to replace it with a Redbud. Do you know if the soil ph will be a problem with the new tree?
	Extension Message From: Jay Hayek Extension Specialist, Forestry Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences jhayek@illinois.edu
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is tolerant to a wide range of soils and pH. However, according to Silvics of North America, redbud grows best in soils rated neutral to mildly alkaline (pH 6.6-7.8). Buy a soil test kit from a lawn and garden store and follow the directions to determine the exact pH of the planting site in order to determine whether or not you may need to raise the pH via soil amendments (i.e., fertilizers).
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