The Judas tree enchants in spring with its fascinating butterfly blossoms. It can also be used as a wedding present. The tree is definitely an eye-catcher in every garden. We present 20 Judas tree varieties in more detail.

In a nutshell

  • Tree with stem flowering
  • Leaves appear after flowering
  • Mainly cultivated in this country: Canadian, Chinese, ordinary and upright Judas tree
  • many varieties have been created by breeding

Botanical specialty

The Judas tree (Cercis) is a botanical specialty, because the distinctive butterfly flowers of this tree bloom from the wood of the trunk and the branches. In botany, this stem flowering is referred to as cauliflory. The blossoms of all Judas trees attract bees and butterflies. Only after the flowers have faded do the large, heart-shaped leaves appear. These often remain on the tree throughout the winter into spring. In autumn, the foliage captivates with many bright colors. The leaf coloring is similar to Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). There are about 10 species worldwide, only a few of which are cultivated in this country. Below is a brief overview of these species with their different varieties.

Notice: Various legends surround the name of the tree. The tree is said to have received its name after the apostle Judas Iscariot hanged himself on just such a tree after betraying Jesus.

Judas tree species

In this country, four main types of Judas trees are cultivated. Breeding has resulted in a wide variety of varieties:

Upright Judas tree (Cercis glabra)

Source: Tangopaso, Cercis yunnanensis (Jardin des Plantes de Paris) 1, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Growth: upright, bushy
  • Growth height: up to 400 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: pink to red, violet, in clusters
  • Leaves: up to 20 cm long, heart-shaped, deciduous, golden yellow in autumn
  • Special features: freezes back in winter, good for gardens

Chinese Judas Tree (Cercis chinensis)

  • Growth: upright, shrub-like, rarely grown as a tree
  • Growth height: up to 400 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • flowers: violet to pink
  • Leaves: green, rounded, deciduous
  • Special feature: Varieties of this type are well suited to being kept in tubs

Chinese Judas Tree "Avondale"

  • Growth: large shrub or small tree, slow-growing
  • Growth height: 400 to 600 cm
  • Flowering time: April
  • flowers: violet-pink, pink
  • Leaves: Dark green on top, lighter underneath, heart-shaped, tapered, yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: winter protection required

Chinese Judas Tree "Don Egolf"

Source: Margaret Pooler, USDA ARS, Chinese redbud cultivar, Edited from Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Growth: upright shrub, compact growth. slow growing
  • Growth height: up to 300 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: pink
  • Leaves: deciduous
  • Special feature: winter protection necessary

Chinese Judas Tree "Shirobana"

  • Growth: upright shrub
  • Growth height: up to 400 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • flowers: white
  • Leaves: Deciduous, rounded to heart-shaped

Common Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum)

  • Growth: funnel-shaped shrub
  • Growth height: 350 to 600 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: purple-pink, simple flowers in racemes
  • Leaves: green-blue, heart- or kidney-shaped

Tip: The flowers of the Judas tree are edible. They are particularly good in salads.

Common Judas Tree "Alba"

Source: Jeantosti, Cercis siliquastrum alba, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Habit: multi-stemmed shrub or tree, umbrella-like crown
  • Growth height: 400 to 600 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: white flower clusters
  • Leaves: Heart-shaped with a blunt tip, green above, grey-green below, length and width 7 to 12 cm

Common Judas Tree "Bodnant"

  • Growth: shrubby or small trees
  • Growth height: up to 1200 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • flowers: dark red
  • Leaves: light green

Common Judas Tree "Judas Leaf"

  • Growth: Shrub or small tree
  • Growth height: up to 600 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • flowers: purplish-pink
  • Leaves: deciduous

Common Judas Tree "Rubra"

  • Growth: shrub or tree
  • Growth height: up to 800 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • flowers: dark red
  • Leaves: grey-green

Canadian Judas Tree (Cercis canadensis)

  • Habit: upright large shrub
  • Growth height: 300 to 400 cm
  • Flowering time: March to May
  • flowers: dark red, in racemes
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, blood-red when they shoot, later dark red, veined red-yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: different varieties

Notice: The "Forest Pansy" variety is particularly well-known in Germany as the Canadian Judas tree.

Canadian Judas Tree "Appalachian Red"

Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Cercis canadensis Appalachian Red 1zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Habit: Large shrub or small multi-stemmed trees with a broad crown and good branching, very densely bushy, sprawling when old, fast-growing
  • Growth height: 450 to 500 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: violet-red, butterfly flowers up to 1 cm large, in clusters
  • Leaves: Heart-shaped or broadly rounded with a slightly pointed end, alternate, 8 to 14 cm long and up to 15 cm wide, smooth-edged, glossy, green in summer, yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: extremely heat-tolerant

Notice: Varieties of the Canadian Judas tree, which are primarily native to the north-east of the USA, are often also traded as American Judas trees and possibly with the suffix “var. texensis”. In this post, that applies to the Appalachian Red, Oklahoma, and Traveler strains. However, there are no real botanical differences.

Canadian Judas Tree "Cascading Hearts"

  • Growth: cascading, upright, spreading with overhanging branches
  • Growth height: 150 to 300 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: pink to lilac, simple flowers in racemes
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, yellowish green
  • Special feature: elegant solitary plant

Canadian Judas Tree "Hearts of Gold"

Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Cercis canadensis Hearts of Gold 1zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Habit: wide, upright, large shrub or small tree, often with multiple stems, fine, rounded crown with fine branches, orange-colored shoot tips
  • Growth height: 300 to 500 cm
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • Flowers: pink-violet, cup-shaped flowers in short racemes
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, 4 to 6 cm long and 5 to 10 cm wide, golden yellow
  • Special feature: works well in single position

Notice: This variety of the Canadian Judas tree is often referred to as the "Golden Judas tree" because of the color of its leaves.

Canadian Judas Tree "Oklahoma"

Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Cercis canadensis texensis Oklahoma 0zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Growth: small trees with good branching, densely bushy, compact growing, very expansive
  • Growth height: 400 cm
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • Flowers: bright wine-red to pink, butterfly flowers up to 1 cm in size, in clusters
  • Leaves: heart-shaped or broadly rounded, length: 7 to 12 cm, width: up to 15 cm, slightly pointed end, smooth-edged, shiny leathery, shoots red, green in summer, crimson-red to orange in autumn

Canadian Judas Tree "Pink Pom Poms"

  • Growth: loose, upright with a broad crown, slow-growing
  • Growth height: 300 to 700 cm
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • Flowers: bright pink, double in clusters
  • leaves: kidney-shaped or heart-shaped. copper-colored shoots, light green in summer, yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: well suited for keeping buckets

Canadian Judas Tree "Royal White"

  • Growth: small tree, shrub, sprawling, upright, bushy, well branched
  • Growth height: 500 to 700 cm
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • flowers: white, simple funnel-shaped flowers
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, dull green in summer, turning yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: good solitary plant

Canadian Judas Tree "The Rising Sun"

  • Growth: multiple stems, shrub or small tree, well branched, upright, slightly square shape
  • Growth height: 150 to 300 cm
  • Flowering period: late April to early June
  • Flowers: pink, small flowers in balls
  • Leaves: Heart-shaped with a short tip, entire, yellow-green in spring, red-orange in summer, orange-purple in autumn
  • Special feature: can be cultivated in large tubs, particularly well suited for individual placement or in groups, goes well with rose bushes

Canadian Judas Tree "Traveller"

Source: Photo by David J. Stang, Cercis canadensis texensis Traveler 1zz, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Growth: small tree, well branched, very densely bushy, overhanging, weeping twigs, very wide and spreading
  • Growth height: 250 to 300 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: pink-pink, 1 cm large butterfly flowers in clusters
  • Leaves: Broadly rounded or heart-shaped, length: 7 to 12 cm, width: up to 15 cm, smooth-edged, slightly pointed end, shiny leathery, red shoots, later green, yellow-orange autumn color
  • Special feature: very robust and hardy

Tip: Judas trees should always be planted between October and March, but never in freezing weather or when it is too hot.

Cercis reniformis "Texas White"

This is a rare variety of the Canadian species of Judas tree from the USA. In this country it is still a rarity in the gardens.

  • Growth: spreading, upright, well branched
  • Growth height: 200 to 300 cm
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flowers: Creamy white, about 1 cm large orchid-like flowers in racemes
  • Leaves: heart-shaped, sometimes also broadly rounded, length: 8 to 12 cm, width: up to 15 cm, pointed end, shiny, leathery, dark green, yellow in autumn
  • Special feature: good container plant

Notice: After flowering, initially green seed pods up to 12 cm long form. They later turn light brown. They are slightly toxic and should therefore not be consumed.

frequently asked Questions

What demands does the Judas tree make on location and soil?

The location should be sunny, warm and sheltered from the wind. The tree also grows in a partially shaded location, but not as beautifully. The Judas tree does not tolerate waterlogging in the root area, so the soil should be well drained and only slightly damp. In addition, these trees also love calcareous and moderately nutrient-rich soils.

How should the care of a Judas tree look like?

After growth, only moderate watering is necessary. These trees cope well with drought. In spring, a dose of balanced complete fertilizer is sufficient to supply the wood with nutrients. Regular cutting measures are not necessary, only in urgent cases. However, diseased and dead wood should be removed in summer. In winter, pruning measures are poorly tolerated.

Is it necessary to protect Judas trees in winter?

As a rule, these trees become more and more hardy with age. However, at low temperatures of around -10 °C, they should receive winter protection. The crown and trunk can be wrapped with jute or bast mats. In the root area, protection can be provided by applying a thick layer of leaves and brushwood.

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Garden plants