#redbud

Things change, change. You cannot have anything, least of all the present - unless you accept all of it with the past and the future. Only their reality makes the present real.

“In the very end, civilizations perish because they listen to their politicians and not to their poets.”

(Cercis canadensis)

Flowers: Eaten raw in salads for a citrusy flavor, used as garnishes, in baked goods, or brewed into tea.

Young Pods: Immature seed pods are edible and can be sautéed, pickled, or added to stir-fries. (I haven’t experimented with them yet—Brandon Weston says to harvest when under and inch and a half)

Brewed into teas to treat colds, flu, fevers, congestion, cough, vomiting, and digestive issues like dysentery.

Astringent: Bark used as an astringent for certain ailments.

Flowers are important for bees, while seeds are eaten by cardinals, pheasants, grosbeaks, deer, and squirrels.

“The main magical use of the redbud is the making of ritual tools for calling up the spirits of the dead or the land. Wands are sometimes made out of branches for this purpose as are pendulums from the wood of the tree. The smoke of burning redbud bark is said to be pleasing to the disembodied noses of haints and ghosts. A particularly auspicious shape is a redbud root that forms a natural circle; you see these along creek beds where the water has washed away the soil that used to be around the twisting roots. I was once told that looking through a hole like this, especially a redbud circle, would allow the viewer to look into the otherworldly” — Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers, and Healing by Brandon Weston

(Quick notes found through google. Please use caution and further research before doing your own experimentation with this foraged food).

Redbud Syrup Part 1 (3/22/25)

Redbud syrup 2 (3/23/25)

Lady day waffles with redbud syrup (3/25/25)

Redbud dye (3/26/25)

Southern biscuits with redbud syrup (4/12/25)

Redbud Pink Lemonade (4/14/25)

Easter Lamb with red wine (and redbud jelly) gravy (4/29/25)

A May Eve treat—ice cream with redbud syrup (4/30/25)

Judas Tree (10/18/25)

Redbud syrup in the bottle!

I was worried I was going to miss the bloom like I have the past two years, then that the flowers were going to get fried by the hard freeze we had. But they stuck it out and bloomed a week early and I was able to harvest enough for nine bottles of syrup.