Cercis siliquastrum

Cercis siliquastrum, or the Judas Tree is a deciduous tree from southern Europe and western Asia, where it is noted due to its deep-pink flowers which bloom in spring.

Description
This species is a small tree, that reaches 12 meters high, and 10 meters in width. The pink flowers are produced on trunks or growths (cauliflory) that are atleast a year old, in spring. The leaves will appear very shortly after the flowers appear. These leaves are heart-shaped, with an occasional shallow notch at the tip. It produces long pods that hang vertically.

Taxonomy
The species was first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753, naming it silquastrum, derived from the Latin word, silqua, meaning "pod".

Varieties and subspecies are:
 * Cercis silquastrum var. hebecarpa Bornm.
 * Cercis silquastrum nothosubsp. yaltikirii (Ponert) Govaerts
 * Cercis silquastrum var. silquastrum L.

Synonyms

 * Cercis silquastrum var. alba Weston
 * Siliquastrum orbicularis Moench

Distribution and ecology
This species is found in western Asia, in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria; and in Europe, it is found in countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and the countries of Yugoslavia.

The flowers are hermaphrodites, and are pollinated by bees.

Cultivation
The Judas Tree prefers deep, well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade. It is resistant to drought.

Cultivars include:
 * 'Alba'- white flowers
 * 'Bodnant'- dark pink-purple flowers
 * 'Rubra'- dark pink-purple flowers

The tree is prone to the attack of leafhoppers, scale insects, and psyllids, as well as some diseases, like canker, coral spot, and Verticillium wilt.

Common name
According to Matthew 27:9-10 of the Bible, Judas Iscariot may have hanged himself. It is thought to be that Judas hung himself from a member of this species. This belief is related to the French common name, Arbre de Judée, which means tree of Judea, which is a reference to where it is found.