In Vitruvian Park which is just behind my townhome, all the redbud trees are in bloom. They line one of the paths along the water. I do think redbud trees are spectacularly beautiful. They add such a vibrant color to the landscape. Why the trees are called redbud, I’m not sure. The flowers are more of a purplish pink than red. Maybe the “bud” comes from the tiny flowers bursting out from the tree, resembling buds rather than full-grown flowers. They are so delicate in contrast to the sturdy tree. Plus, they are the official state tree of Oklahoma where I grew up. Let’s learn more about them.
Redbud or Cercis is a genus of about 10 species in the subfamily Cercidoideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to warm temperate regions. It contains small deciduous trees or large shrubs commonly known as redbuds. They are characterized by simple, rounded to heart-shaped leaves and pinkish-red flowers borne in the early spring on bare leafless shoots, on both branches and trunk. Cercis is derived from the Greek word κερκις or kerkis meaning "weaver's shuttle," which was applied by Theophrastus — a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos and the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school, a school of philosophy in Ancient Greece — to C. siliquastrum, commonly known as the Judas tree or Judas-tree.
Cercis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including mouse moth and Automeris io, both recorded on eastern redbud. The bark of C. chinensis has been used in Chinese medicine as an antiseptic.
Cercis fossils have been found that date to the Eocene Epoch, a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago.
Some Species Eastern redbud or Cercis canadensis Cercis canadensis, the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Michigan south to central Mexico, east to New Jersey. Species thrive as far west as California and as far north as southern Ontario, roughly corresponding to USDA hardiness zone 6b. A smaller Eastern American woodland understory tree, the eastern redbud, Cercis Canadensis, is common from southernmost Canada to Piedmont, Alabama and East Texas. It differs from C. siliquastrum or the western redbud in its pointed leaves and slightly smaller size — rarely over 12 meters tall. The flowers are also used in salads and for making pickled relish, while the inner barl pf twigs gives a mustard-yellow dye. It is commonly grown as an ornamental.
It is the state tree of Oklahoma. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, this medium-sized tree, from the Leguminosae family, boasts an array of purple-pink, clustered blossoms. Growing in valleys, forests, and fields, the redbud, with its heart-shaped leaves, evokes a message of love in Oklahoma.
Maimee Lee Robinson Browne (1881–1963) succumbed to the redbud's spell and made its conservation her personal mission. As the general chairman of the Oklahoma City Beautification Committee, Browne led awareness and planting campaigns and pushed for the redbud to become the state tree. Her efforts overcame the objections of opponents, including the formidable Roberta Campbell Lawson of Tulsa, who contended that the Eastern redbud and the European redbud or Judas tree — connected to the betrayer of Biblical times, Judas Iscariot — were one and the same. Quelling the debate was information from Oklahoma City resident John Y. Iskian, who showed that although related, the two trees remained different. Concrete success came on March 30, 1937, when Gov. Ernest W. Marland and the Sixteenth Legislature signed Senate Joint Resolution Five officially bestowing emblem status and extolling the redbud's historical role of welcome to the "sturdy and hardy pioneers." On June 24, 1971, the redbud as official tree became a statute under Gov. David Hall.
At the end of the 20th century, Platt National Park in Sulphur, Oklahoma, vaunted one of the most prodigious displays of this hallmark tree. Beyond ornamentation, the redbud doubles as a medicinal remedy and a foodstuff, with many tempting recipes including redbud-sage muffins. The legacy of the redbud remains preserved on Oklahoma horizons and through a book of poetry published in honor of Browne. Hundreds of verses attest and revere Oklahoma's state tree, the redbud.
Chinese redbud or Cercis chinensis According to Wikipedia, Cercis chinensis, the Chinese redbud, is a plant of the family Fabaceae native to China that grows between 490 to 4,590 feet above sea level. As a tree, the Chinese redbud may grow up to 49 feet tall with a trunk diameter of up to 20 inches, however, the species is normally found growing in shrub form. The flowers are pink or milky white in color whilst the leaf body is almost circular in shape, 2.4 to 5.5 inches in length and tapers to a point at the end. Flowering in April, the Chinese redbud produces fruit in October. Although hardy, in cultivation this plant requires a sheltered spot in a southerly or westerly aspect, with damp well-drained soil.
Western redbud or Cercis occidentalis Cercis occidentalis, the western redbud or California redbud, is a small tree or shrub in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is found across the American Southwest, from California to Utah and Arizona. It is easily recognized when it is in bloom from March to May; it is covered with small pink to purple flowers. Cercis occidentalis has thin, shiny brown branches that bear shiny heart-shaped leaves which are light green early in the season and darken as they age. Leaves on plants at higher elevation may turn gold or red as the weather cools. The showy flowers are bright pink or magenta, and they grow in clusters all over the shrub, making the plant very colorful and noticeable in the landscape. The shrub bears 3-inch-long brown legume pods which are very thin and dry. Indigenous Californians use the twigs of the western redbud to weave baskets and even prune the shrub to encourage growth of new twigs. The bark provides a faint reddish dye for the finished basketry. The Concow tribe calls the tree “dop” or “tal'k” in the Konkow language. Cercis occidentalis is cultivated as an ornamental plant and tree, for planting in parks and gardens, and as a street tree. It is also used in drought-tolerant, native plant and wildlife gardens.
The western redbud ranges from California east to Utah primarily in foothill regions. Its leaves are more rounded at the tip than the relatively heart-shaped leaves of the eastern redbud. The tree often forms multi-trunked colonies that are covered in bright pink flowers in early spring from February to March. White-flowered variants are in cultivation. It buds only once a year.
Judas tree or Cercis siliquastrum Cercis siliquastrum, commonly known as the Judas tree or Judas-tree, is a small deciduous tree from Southern Europe and Western Asia which is noted for its prolific display of deep pink flowers in spring. This species forms a small tree up to 39 feet in height and 32 feet in width. The deep pink flowers are produced on year-old or older growth, including the trunk, in spring. Also, the flowers display a blossom with five free petals and fused sepals. This flower shape is typical of the pea family or Fabaceae. The leaves appear shortly after the first flowers emerge. These are cordate with a blunt apex, which occasionally has a shallow notch at the tip. The tree produces long flat pods that hang vertically. The flowers are edible and purportedly have a sweet-acid taste.
The Judas tree is found in Iberia, southern France, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Asia Minor, and forms a low tree with a flat spreading head. In early spring it is covered with a profusion of magenta flowers which appear before the leaves. The flowers are edible and are sometimes eaten in a mixed salad or made into fritters with a flavor described as an agreeably acidic bite. The tree frequently figured in the 16th and 17th century herbals.
There is a myth that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a tree of this species, causing its white flowers to turn red. This belief is related to the common name "Judas tree," which is possibly a corrupted derivation from the French common name, “Arbre de Judée,” meaning tree of Judea, referring to the hilly regions of that country where the tree used to be common. Another possible source for the vernacular name is the fact that the flowers and seedpods can dangle direct from the trunk in a way reminiscent of Judas's possible method of suicide. A sermon illustration on the deadly effects of succumbing to temptation refers to a false idea that the Judas tree killed bees drawn to it: "Dr. Cuyler forcibly illustrates this by reference to the Judas tree. The blossoms appear before the leaves, and they are of a brilliant crimson. The flaming beauty of the flowers attracts innumerable insects; and the wandering bee is drawn after it to gather honey. But every bee which alights upon the blossom, imbibes a fatal opiate and drops dead from among the crimson flowers to the earth."
Wood The wood is medium weight, somewhat brittle, of light tan color with a noticeably large heartwood area of darker brown, tinged with red. The wood has attractive figuring and is used in wood turning, for making decorative items and in the production of wood veneer.
Planting a Redbud Tree According to Master Gardener Susan Patterson’s article “Growing Redbud Trees: How to Care for a Redbud Tree” at gardeningknowhow.com, planting a redbud tree is best done in early spring. These ornamental beauties prefer well-drained soil and a partly shaded location. Once you have selected your site, dig a hole that is at least three times as wide as the tree’s root. Be sure that the root ball is even with the ground when you place the tree in the hole. Once you have your tree placed in the ground, be sure that it is straight and backfill your hole with native soil. Water thoroughly after planting a redbud tree. How to Care for a Redbud Tree
The care of redbud trees requires minimal effort. Place about 3 inches of mulch around the tree, but not touching the trunk, to help retain moisture. Prune the redbud in the fall to maintain a natural growth habit and to trim off any dead branches. Keep the soil moist, but not saturated, while the tree is establishing. Redbuds occasionally suffer from canker problems or battle tree borers. Be sure to obtain proper diagnosis before treating your tree for disease or insect infestation.
Cankers on trees appear as isolated dead areas on the bark, stems, branches or twigs. Cankers may appear as discolored areas or depressed places on the bark. A fungus that enters the tree and grows between the bark and the wood killing the bark generally causes cankers. However, cankers can also be caused by damage from weed eaters, lawnmowers, chemicals, insects or environmental conditions. The canker itself makes the tree highly vulnerable to bacteria, fungus and insects. Young fruit trees have an especially difficult time recovering from cankers. Established shade trees may weaken and become susceptible to wind damage. The healthier the tree is, the more likely it is to ward off serious damage from a canker disease. Trees that are weakened by temperature, drought, poor nutrition or other present diseases are much more susceptible to canker diseases. Canker diseases are more common with hardwood trees than on conifers.
Tree borers are a group of insects that lay their eggs on or inside of trees, where the young larvae eat their way through living tissues. These miscreants can be either beetles or clearwing moths, but the end result is the same. Tree borer insects cause affected parts of trees to slowly weaken as their chewing severs vital transport tissues. Over time, they may girdle trees or weaken branches to the point that they break under pressure. The most obvious signs of tree borer insects are the tiny holes they cut into trunks, branches and stems. These holes may be perfectly round or slightly oblong, sometimes a sawdust-like material, called frass, falls on branches below these holes or forms a long cylinder as tree borer insects excavate tunnels.
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