Judas tree seeds

Judas tree or Judas-tree / Cercis siliquastrum - a highly branched tree or shrub with a wide crown, reddish branches and heart-shaped, green leaves. At the time of flowering, they completely refute the species name with their extraordinary bright beauty.

The scarlet blooms before the leaves bloom; it blooms for a short time - 3-4 weeks. But there are so many flowers that they cover thin shoots, thick skeletal branches, and even the trunk. Small flowers of the moth type, like those of most legumes, are collected in bunches, bunches in lush “caps”. The development of leafless inflorescences on old branches and trunks is characteristic of most tropical plants, but is a rare occurrence among subtropical species. This phenomenon is called “cauliflory” (from the Greek kaulos - stem, trunk and Latin flos, gen. floris - flower).

The round or broad oval leaves bloom at the end of flowering, the young foliage has a pink-brown tint, then the top becomes dark green and the bottom becomes bluish-blue. In September, hard brown pods begin to rustle cheerfully in the wind in the crown of the tree. The small seeds have tiny wings; they are light: 1 kg - up to 2 million pieces. In nature it grows on rocky slopes and tolerates drought well.