Judas tree in bloom in the Arboretum.
The Arboretum’s Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum) is just about to burst into bloom along Arboretum Drive. Native to Southern Europe and Western Asia, this delightful member of the pea family grows up to 25 feet tall and produces a profusion of rosy-pink flowers on its branches and trunk in late spring.
In the latest issue of the Arboretum Bulletin, Janine Anderson writes about the species and how it got its Biblical name. She also tells the intriguing story of the Arboretum’s specimen, which involved a botanical excursion to Soviet-era Georgia.
