If you donʼt have a Canadian Redbud in your garden, you are missing out on one of our most outstanding ornamental trees. In early spring, every gracefully arched branch is covered in showy rose-pink blossoms that will last for weeks.

Like all native plants, the Redbud has more than just good looks to offer in the garden. Itʼs a magnet for bees and butterflies at a time of the year when a good meal is hard to come by. And it will give you less grief than some of the Asian fruit trees which can take years to establish.

Redbuds also come with some fascinating myths and lore. The European cousin of our cercis canadensis is called the Judas Tree because itʼs believed Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a branch of this tree. Legend has it that the flowers of the tree were originally white, but turned pink from shame.

Itʼs this association, along with the fact that theyʼre included in almost every medieval herbal, that leads experts to speculate that the Redbud had a significant place in the pre-Christian, Celtic tree worshipping world. This would also explain the lingering superstition that it was risky to approach a Judas Tree after dark.

Native North Americans had no such negative associations with their Redbuds.

This tree was a very popular source of fibers for basket-making as well as providing a range of cures for colds and respiratory complaints. The flowers of the Redbud are edible and were a special treat for Native children every spring.

Europeans arriving in North America were quickly taken with the Redbud for both its practical and aesthetic gifts. They used the flowers to season salads, the unopened buds were pickled and used as a caper substitute, and the green twigs were chopped into venison stews as seasoning, leading some to nickname it the spice tree.

When the Oklahoma legislature tried to pass a bill in 1937 to make the Redbud the official state plant, its murky European past came back to haunt it. Because of the association with Judas Iscariot, some of the good ladies of the National Federation of Womenʼs Clubs thought it unsuitable. For a tense week, the Oklahoma Garden Club members fought a battle of words to defend the Redbud and finally won the day.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, as part of the healing process for children they participated in a tree-planting ceremony for the Oklahoma City National Memorial. The Redbud trees that were planted represent the cityʼs remembrance of the victims and gratitude to the rescuers that day.