Redbud is the name for a group of trees and shrubs native to Asia, North America, and southern Europe. Redbuds are particularly beautiful early in spring when they are covered with delicate blossoms, each about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long. The flowers, which may be pink, purplish-pink, or white, reach full bloom before the leaves appear. Redbud trees have smooth, reddish-brown bark and heart-shaped leaves. The trees bear many seeds in flat, thin pods. The seeds are a valuable source of food for animals.
Redbuds grow best in fertile, sandy soil. Some grow 40 feet (12 meters) high. People cultivate the trees from seeds or from cuttings. Redbuds are widely planted as ornamental trees because of their colorful blossoms and graceful form.
One species of redbud is called the Judas tree because of the belief that Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus Christ, hanged himself on this kind of tree. The Judas tree grows in southern Europe and western Asia.
