The Judas Tree (cercis siliquastrum) is a deciduous tree with small but very dense branches that can reach 6/10 meters high. The flowers, of a beautiful deep pink, appear before the leaves, are found in short racemes on older branches and have a form similar to those of the pea. The leaves are kidney-shaped, with an entire margin, hairless and are an attractive glaucous green. The fruit is a long and reddish pod that remains on the branches all winter. The Judas Tree is a plant native to Asia Minor and grows well in a mild climate and in the full sun.
Legend has it that it was the tree from which the traitor apostle Judas hanged himself. This reputation may be derived from a tradition of an improper pronunciation of its name in French “arbre de la Judée” (tree of Judea), which refers to the origins of the plant. The transformation of Judée in Judah may have generated the name “Judas tree” with the corresponding birth of the legend.
