A catalog of Native North American Plants : Cercis canadensis

Cercis canadensis

Common name: Red bud

the eastern redbud, is a large deciduous small tree, native to eastern North America from southern Ontario, south to northern Florida but which can thrive as far west as California. It is the state tree of Oklahoma. The eastern redbud typically grows to 6–9 m (20–30 ft) tall.  It generally has a short, often twisted trunk and spreading branches. The bark is dark in color, smooth, later scaly with ridges. The twigs are almost black in color. The leaves are alternate, simple, and heart shaped.

The flowers are showy, light to dark magenta pink in color ¹⁄₂  inch long, appearing in clusters from Spring to early Summer, on bare stems before the leaves, sometimes on the trunk itself. The fruit are flattened, dry, brown, pea-like pods. The flowers can be eaten fresh or fried. Native Americans consumed redbud flowers raw or boiled, and ate roasted seeds. Analysis of nutritional components in edible parts of eastern redbud reported that:

• the flower extract contains anthocyanins,
• green developing seeds contained proanthocyanidin, and
• linolenic, alpha-linolenic, oleic and palmitic acids are present in seeds.

Dye Colors: Yellow, Green, Red, Black, Brown, Orange