THE RED BUD OR JUDAS TREE 



THE Red Bud is of interest for many reasons, one of the most important of which 

 is that, while it is indigenous only in the Southern States, it is hardy when planted 

 as an ornamental tree in the Northern States. It seems to be especially a tree of 

 the underwoods, thriving in the shade of the forest and giving to it during the brief period 

 of blossoming a striking beauty by means of its myriads of pink blossoms upon the bare 

 brown branches. These flowers show that the tree belongs to the great family of legumes, 

 each having essentially the structure of a pea- or bean-blossom, and each being succeeded 

 by a fruit-pod which also shows the family relationship of the tree. These pods, which 

 are illustrated on the plate, commonly reach a length of three inches and are often of a 

 light rose color. They generally remain upon the tree through the autumn, commonly 

 being broken off early in winter, and contain generally about a dozen small brown, some- 

 what flattened seeds. 



The habit of growth of the Red Bud has been likened to that of an Apple tree, and 

 a glance at the plate will show the justness of the comparison. When growing in the 

 underwoods the resemblance is likely to be often more striking, because the central vertical 

 shoot is not likely to be so well marked as in the tree of the picture. The surface of the 

 bark is scaly and of a red-brown color. The tree seldom reaches a greater height than forty 

 feet. It is especially valuable in landscape planting on account of its ability to grow in 

 the shade of taller trees, so that it may be occupied to fill in a space between shrubby 

 undergrowth next the ground and tall trees which branch high up. The foliage is clean 

 and attractive, and during the blossoming period the tree is likely to be the most conspicu- 

 ous feature of the landscape. This species is often called by the name of Judas Tree, a 

 term which appears to be due to the fancied resemblance to the European and Asiatic 

 species, to which this name is given because of the tradition that the blossoming tree was 

 blushing for having been the tree upon which Judas hanged himself. 



The Japanese or Chinese Red Bud (Cercis Chinensis) is with us generally a beauti- 

 ful shrub, though a tree in its native home. Its purplish pink flowers are larger than those 

 of the American form and more abundant than the European species. Consequently this 

 is particularly desirable for landscape planting. 



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