History Test Your

 Noted by Spaniards and differentiated from cousins in Knowledge Europe and Asia in 1571 Cercis canadensis  First cultivated in 1811 To which of the following families does  George Washington spoke of the the Eastern Redbud belong? Redbud’s beauty in his diary; he Fabaceae Family A. the legume family often transplanted seeds from the forest into his garden B. the rose family

C. the tea family

Interesting Facts D. the olive family

 State Tree of Oklahoma  Nicknamed “Judas Tree” along with cousin Cercis siliquastrum - it is said that Judas hanged himself on such a Resources tree, and that afterward the flowers http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?id=6 “blushed in shame” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_redbud http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_ceca4.pdf  Native Americans ate flowers raw and http://www.plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=CECA4 http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/ceca.html boiled and roasted the seeds for food; http://againstallheresies.blogspot.com/2007/04/judas-tree-and- they used different parts of the tree for legend.html Photo retrieved from arborday.org medicinal purposes  In some parts of Southern Appalachia, the green twigs are used as seasoning for wild game; for this reason it is sometimes called the spicewood tree  Nutrients: flower extract contains anthocyanins; seeds contain Eastern Redbud proanthocyanides and lindenic, alpha-lendenic, oleic, & pamitic acids Photo retrieved from USDA Plant Fact Sheet Tree Characteristics Shape/Size Leaves Growing Conditions Rounded shape; crown spreads Alternate, simple, heart-shaped, entire approximately 25 feet; 20-30 feet tall margins; 3-5 inches in length; thin and Can be grown in full sun to shade; papery; may be slightly hairy below; various soils; used as a landscape Bark emerge after flowers bloom; leaves turn to ornament; often found as understory Dark color; smooth, a dark green during summer then yellow in tree in the wild; grows in lower great later scaly with some autumn; prominent veins plains, eastern US, and Ontario, ridges; may contain Canada maroon patches Flowers

Photo retrieved from Bloom March to May www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/ceca.html (peak in April); pink to Photo retrieved from Twigs red in color; 1/2 inch in USDA Plant Fact Sheet length; grow in clusters Slender and on older twigs and trunk zigzag; nearly black; spotted Fruit Photo taken in Sidney, OH with light Flattened pod elliptical Lenticels in shape; dark brown when ripe; 2-4 inches

Buds Photo taken in Sidney, OH long; mature August-October; seeds are 1/4 inch long; approximately 4-10 seeds Pests and Disease Tiny, rounded, and dark red to per pod; seeds dispersed by wind and chestnut in color animals; however, most trees are sterile  Three main diseases: leaf anthracnose, Botryosphaeria canker, Interactions with Wild and verticillium wilt  Tree is attacked by several different  Seeds provide food for birds (especially Northern Bobwhite and some song birds) species of wood borers in the winter  Redbud leaffolder, grape leaffolder,  Leaves eaten by the caterpillars of some species from the Lepidoptera order and Japanese weevil all feed on the  Provides materials for nests and nesting sites and shelter for birds and mammals leaves  The Henry’s elfin butterfly and hummingbirds use for nectar; bees use for pollen  Considered less desirable or emergency food for those animals who do graze on the tree