redbud lovin’
Everyday driving to work I keep telling myself I should stop and shoot some springiness images. Well, I haven’t done that yet and it won’t be long until all the blooms are gone. My fave spring flowering botanical is the American Redbud. This lovely harbinger of spring has been called “a breath of fresh air after a long winter.” The Arbor Day folks describe the Redbud’s place in history like this:
Early settlers found the blossoms of the redbud a delicious addition to their salads. Early folk healers used the bark to treat common maladies and sometimes even leukemia. And many Native Americans chose the wood of the California redbud for their bows. But the sheer springtime beauty of the redbud may be its greatest hold on the American spirit.
I’ve never eaten the buds (maybe I should), but I still love the way they look in the spring. The photo above was taken on the University of Kansas campus. It’s a gnarly old Redbud with so much character. The University is doing some campus renovation and stupidly decided to take out a number of beautiful Redbuds along Jayhawk Blvd. Where were all the tree-huggers when our Redbud friends needed them?
I’m with you. Redbuds are the best. Our new house has 5 and it pains me that we’ll need to take down two or three of them in the next couple of years. They’re old, have had some serious storm damage, and haven’t been well taken care of. The best of our bunch is right smack in the middle of our front yard, though. We’ll do our best to keep that one happy.
I need to get some campus shots, too. Don’t be surprised if you bump into me one of these days.
It certainly is good to see signs of spring… it’s way over due.