Herb: Western Redbud


Latin name: Cercis occidentalis


Family: Leguminosae



Edible parts of Western Redbud:

Flowers - raw. Added to salads, they have a pleasant acid taste. The flower buds are pickled like capers. Seedpods - roasted. The pods are up to 9cm long. Seed - cooked.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
4.5 m
(15 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Dry slopes and in canyons in foothills below 1100 metres.

Propagation of Western Redbud:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours in warm water then cold stratify for 3 months. Sow spring in the greenhouse. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Plants resent root disturbance and are best planted out in their permanent positions as soon as possible. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry slopes and in canyons in foothills below 1100 metres.

Medicinal use of Western Redbud:

None known

Known hazards of Cercis occidentalis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.