Cercis siliquastrum - Judas Tree, Love Tree

The Judas tree gives away his secret showing his heart-shaped, bright-green leaves and spectacular spring bloom. Its deep pink flowers grow in dense clusters directly from branches and stems- a rare phenomenon called cauliflory. The flowers appear before the leaves and so are visible for a long distance. Interestingly, the flowers have a delicate aroma and are eaten and used for decorating food in mediterranean countries. This deciduous tree gets more and more popular - as typical pot plant, in a greenhouse or even in the garden, since they are very hardy. Judas tree can either grow shrub-like with several main stems or as a small tree with one single stem. The crown is usually as broad as its width. In the garden it should be planted in a sunny spot in well draining, stony-sandy soil. It is tolerant of chalky soils. There is an old myth that Judas hanged himself from a Cercis siliquastrum, a tree that in biblical times was widely spread in the area of Jerusalem. This believe is related to the common name Judas tree. Nowadays, the Judas tree is not only a characteristic of mediterranean gardens and parks but due to its large number of brown, flat pods it is also runs to seed.

Quality: bright pink & eye-catching spring bloom; flowers on stems and branches (cauliflory) before leaves appear; heart-shaped leaves; very individually growing and gnarly crown; robust & hardy
Use: planted in the garden; in large pots thoughout the year outdoor (with winter protection) - or during winter in the house; all year in an unheated or cool greenhouse