BY: CARMEN GAEBE
Staff writer
The great state of Oklahoma in 1937 designated the Eastern Redbud, scientific name Cercis canadensis as its official state tree. This choice of the tree; however, was not without some controversy. Just as the governor was about to sign this bill, he received a telegram from the President of the National Women’s Club protesting the choice. The president claimed that the Eastern Redbud was the same as the European redbud, which is often called the Judas Tree, due to the myth stating that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from the tree, turning its white flowers red. The debate was settled after a prominent Israeli-born Oklahoman named John Iskian was able to convince the public that the two trees, while related, are indeed separate species. It’s a large shrub or small tree native to much of the eastern United States, and parts of northern Mexico. This tree typically grows to 20 to 30 feet tall with a short, twisted trunk and wide-spreading branches. It is most famous for its showy magenta flowers that appear in clusters from spring to early summer. The tree is pollinated by many types of bees such as blueberry bees and carpenter bees, as shorter tongue bees can’t reach the nectaries. The redbud has many traditional indigenous uses. The bark when boiled makes for treatment for whipping off the roots in the inner bark tree fibers and congestion. The flowers are edible and have a nice sweet flavor and can be sprinkled into a salad, used as a garnish, baked into cookies and cakes made into jelly, or eaten as if the tree’s seed pods are also edible making the Redbud a great snacking tree. Eastern redbud wood is primarily used by hobbyists to make boxes, carvings, and small specialty items. It is one of the few species that fluoresce under black light.