My Corner Online

Flower Index Index by Family 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6

Cercis canadensis | Redbud, American Redbud, Judas Tree

First bloom dates:

2017 March 24

2018 April 3

2019 March 29

2020 March 27

2022 April 12

2023 March 29

2024 March 13

Cercis canadensis | Redbud, American Redbud, Judas Tree

Fabaceae (Pea Family) (Pronounced fuh·bay·see·eye)

Pronounced SER-sis Kan-uh-DEN-sis

Redbud is known as Judas-tree because legend has it that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a branch of the European species called Cercis siliquastrum.

The name Cercis is from a Greek word kerkis, which means weaver's shuttle, which is the device that moves back and forth on a loom to weave the thread. It is said that the seed pod resembles of the weaver's shuttle.

The Redbud is a hardwood tree. Compared to other trees, it is a short-lived tree. It lives to be 50 to 70 years. I know ours lived over 50 years and it was scraggly and working hard to keep going. It did not look good, so we took it down, but there were already several other trees that were babies of our original Redbud.

In comparison, a Redbud is not a very tall tree at about 35 feet high, which makes it a good choice for yards.

Redbuds are one of the first to bloom in the Spring, about the same time as Magnolias, and have a beautiful purple-pink bud. The tree is usually covered in blooms. When we drive along the highway we can see all of the wild ones usually grouped together in a standout view.

Because the Redbud is in the bean family, the seeds are formed inside pods (legumes) that fall off and germinate wherever they blow in the wind and land. This is why there are usually groupings of Redbuds along the roadside. Birds also like to eat the seeds and they spread them about as well.

Redbuds are ramiflorous which is a fun word that means the flowers are formed on leafless, old branches. Flowers usually form on stems on the branches.

The flower buds are edible and some folks put them on top of salads.

The blooms last about two weeks when they begin to fall off and the leaves bud out. The leaves are heart-shaped.

To be in sync with one of the first trees to bloom, it is also one of the first trees to turn yellow in the Autumn and quickly drop its leaves.

An often asked question is if this is a "red bud" tree, then why are the buds purple? Who knows! Maybe "purple bud" tree did not sound good or maybe the person was color blind who named this tree.

2024