All plants /Tree /Eastern Redbud
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis, legume family. Common in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Pink flowers; young green pods
- How
- Flowers raw in salads; young pods cooked
- When
- Early spring
- Where
- Woodland edges and yards
- Value
- Vitamin C; bright and pea-like
Caution: Eat the flowers and only the tender young pods; skip old pods and seeds. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
In March the bare branches erupt in magenta-pink flowers right off the wood. Unmistakable and cheerful.
In the kitchen
The tangy-sweet flowers brighten a salad or top a cake; young pods can be sautéed like snow peas.
Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.