redbud time

My redbud trees are another harbinger of spring alongside daffodils and Lenten roses. Indigenous to North America and High in Vitamin C Native Americans ate the flowers, seeds and pods.  Medicinally they used the bark for whooping cough, vomiting, fevers and congestion; they would either boil the bark or make a tea.  Hummingbirds gather nectar from the tree along with bees that help pollinate. A colorful edition year round, from the pink blossoms to the burgundy heart shaped leaves.