Judas tree

American  

noun

1. a purple-flowered Eurasian tree, Cercis siliquastrum, of the legume family, supposed to be the kind upon which Judas hanged himself.

2. any of various other trees of the same genus, as the redbud.

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Judas tree British  

noun

1. small Eurasian leguminous tree, Cercis siliquastrum, with pinkish-purple flowers that bloom before the leaves appear: popularly thought to be the tree on which Judas hanged himself See also redbud

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Etymology

Origin of Judas tree

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

The sprawling site, in a lush valley by the confluence of two rivers, is at its prettiest in the spring, teeming with pink-flowering Judas trees, small blue irises and the occasional red anemone.

From Seattle Times

I do not recall the Judas tree in my childhood.

From Project Gutenberg

George's wooing seemed as flowery as the meadows about Avignon, white with fragrant narcissus, or as the gardens purple with Judas trees in spring.

From Project Gutenberg

Nowhere else in the world does one find so many Judas trees as here, where the two extremities of Asia and of Europe are face to face.

From Project Gutenberg

But he heard no sound save the flick-flick of the leaves of the Judas tree against the window, in the light airs from the Canigou, already damp with the early mist of the foot-hills.

From Project Gutenberg