Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae
Judas Tree Flower
Cercis siliquastrum
Betrayal, redemption, and spring's forgiveness.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Cercis
- Native to
- Mediterranean region, western Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- deciduous tree
- Height
- 6–12 m
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, alkaline to neutral
- Water
- low to medium; drought-tolerant once established
- Hardiness
- 6–9
- Lifespan
- over 100 years
Did you know
- Legend holds that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from this tree after betraying Christ, causing the white flowers to blush pink with shame.
- The flowers erupt directly from old wood and even the main trunk — a phenomenon called cauliflory, rare in temperate trees.
- Young seed pods and flower buds are edible and have been eaten pickled in Mediterranean cuisines for centuries.
- It is closely related to the North American redbud (Cercis canadensis) and the two species can hybridize.
- In its native habitat around the Mediterranean, Judas trees create breathtaking pink clouds on rocky hillsides each April.
Color meanings
Pink
tender hope after sorrow
Magenta
passionate regret
White
redeemed innocence