redbud

American  

[red-buhd] / ˈrɛdˌbʌd /

noun

1. an American tree, Cercis canadensis, of the legume family, resembling the Eurasian Judas tree and having small, budlike, pink flowers: the state tree of Oklahoma.

2. any of various related trees.

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redbud British  

/ ˈrɛdˌbʌd /

noun

1. Also called: American Judas tree.  an American leguminous tree, Cercis canadensis , that has heart-shaped leaves and small budlike pink flowers

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Etymology

Origin of redbud

First recorded in 1695–1705; red ¹ + bud ¹

Example Sentences

Using the Treekeeper software, I correctly located a Western redbud around the block from my house.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2023

Osage orange, redbud and sugar maple tree branches wove together overhead, forming a dense, knotty canopy that broke every few miles to reveal stretching bluegrass pastures.

From Salon • Feb. 12, 2023

Spring on the parkway brings the pink flowers of redbud trees and the paper-white flowers of dogwoods.

From New York Times • Nov. 1, 2022

“Grey willow, redbud, and dogwood trees survived and regrew, even though they had ‘burnt down to the ground.”

From Slate • Jul. 27, 2022

The apple and peach orchards were in bloom again, and the redbud was almost ready to burst.

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt