Tree comparisons

	Cercis Carolina Sweetheart	Magnolia Woodsman	Amelanchier R J Hilton
	One of the most colourful of the Redbuds, Carolina Sweetheart features a mass of variegated white / pink / green heart-shaped leaves.	Woodsman features dusky pink flowers with shades of yellow, green and cream.	R J Hilton features large white flowers, copper-coloured young leaves, and attractive autumn leaf colours.
	remove	remove	remove

Growing

	Cercis Carolina Sweetheart	Magnolia Woodsman	Amelanchier R J Hilton
Gardening skill	Beginner	Beginner	Beginner
Awards			RHS AGM (current)
Attractive features	Attractive flowers Attractive foliage Autumn foliage colour Variegated foliage Summer foliage colour	Attractive flowers	Attractive flowers Autumn foliage colour
Growth habit	Spreading / Flat-topped	Upright-spreading / Vase	Upright-spreading / Vase
Height after 10 years	3m-5m / 10ft-16ft	5m-8m / 16ft-25ft	2.5m-3.5m / 8ft-12ft
Sunlight	Prefers full sun Tolerates shade	Prefers full sun	Prefers full sun Some shade
Pruning	Prune after flowering	No need to prune	Prune after flowering
Growth rate		Fast
Site conditions	Free-draining site Occasional drought	Sheltered site Free-draining site	Free-draining site Occasional flooding

	Cercis Carolina Sweetheart	Magnolia Woodsman	Amelanchier R J Hilton
Flower colour	Pink - dark	Pink - light	White
Flower form	Single flower (5-8 petals)	Single flower (5-8 petals)
Flowering month	April	May	April
Leaf colour	Green Pink-white-green variegated	Green	Green
Leaf colour - autumn			Yellow / Crimson
Leaf/Flower sequence	Flowers appear first	Leaves and Flowers appear together	Leaves and Flowers appear together
Fruit colour			Blue - dark
Country of origin	United States	United States	Canada
Annual cycle	Deciduous	Deciduous	Deciduous