Redbud (Cercis spp.) trees provide colorful spring bloom in much of North America. Although most genotypes are green-leaved, some cultivars have been developed with yellow, red, or purple leaves. Depending on genotype, flowers can be white, pink, purple, or red. Previously we found that leaf petioles from red or purple flowered redbuds contain peonidin-3-glucoside, purple-flowered redbuds also contain malvidin-3-glucoside, red-flowered redbuds lack appreciable malvidin-3-glucoside, and white flower types lack either pigment. In the current study, we followed the anthocyanins present in the calyx, petal, and pedicel of flowers in purple, red, yellow and green leaved genotypes to determine pigment profile continuity and possible leaf color influence on pigments. A total of 30 cultivar/genotypes of redbud flowers were used, including C. chinensis, C. glabra, C. canadensis, and C. canadensis ssp. texensis, mexicana. Calyx, petal, and pedicel of 20 cultivars were also subjected to extraction of pigments with acidified methanol and identification of anthocyanins using HPLC and PDA. Overall, visual categorization of flowers as red or purple and flower components correlated with the presence (purple) or absence (red) of malvidin 3-glucoside. Purple flowers from red or purple-leaved redbuds had a more diverse anthocyanin profile and were 1.5 to 3 fold higher in total anthocyanin than those from green-leaved redbuds. Red flowers were dominant in peonidin-3,5-diglucoside. These studies demonstrate that multiple flower tissues will yield similar anthocyanin profiles in redbud flowers, and that the genetics affecting leaf color can also influence the amount of pigment in redbud flowers. Additionally, the redbud species and genotypes used in this study appear to exhibit a pattern of flower pigmentation controlled by synthesis of malvidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside.
