The month is filled with spectacular flowering trees as magnolias and dogwoods all welcome the season in clouds of pink frothiness. A drive down President Avenue, or a visit to the Amos Herr House, offers delightful examples. Less showy, but just as loved, are the ornate purplish-pink flowers of the Eastern Redbud, cercis Canadensis, decorating our woodlands. Whether encountered on a hike or driving through a neighborhood, this harbinger of spring is a reliable understory tree that thrives in challenging conditions. Maturing at only 20 to 25 feet with bark that grows more attractive as it ages, it’s perfect for small lots and under powerlines. Its hardiness and compact size earned it the 2010 Urban Tree of the Year award from the Society of Municpal Arborists.