At this time of year there is often one special plant in the garden. At the moment it is our Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum).
They can grow as multi-stemmed plants and we received ours as an off-shoot from a friend. In fact, he gave us two and we now have three from one we split ourselves.
These trees can grow up to 10 metres tall and they do very well in our area. I have seen beautiful examples of huge old trees.
The flowers arrive before the leaves and are a special pink colour.
The flowers are the same shape as sweet peas or the flowers of green pea plants.
The flowers attract all the pollinators but especially the Carpenter bees that have the muscle and force to pierce the flower head to reach the nectar.
The nectar in the flower must be really good as the honey bees go to a lot of trouble to push open the lower petals of the flower.
She really has to keep up the pressure and take her “shoulder” to it before she can get the flower to open.
You can see her licking her tongue here, obviously worth the effort.
Now the trees are starting open their leaves while keeping their flowers. The fresh leaves are shiny and very attractive.
Definitely a star of the April garden!
a french garden 
Our common redbud (cersis canadensis) has been beautiful this spring. One of our favorite native spring trees. Grows wild everywhere and in gardens. Yours and ours must be cousins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like cousins. How great it must be to see them in the wild. Amelia
LikeLike
Your Judas tree looks stunning. In our garden at the moment, the star is the apple tree in blossom 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our Belle of Boskoop is in flower just now and the flowers are as pretty as the ornamental Malus evereste we have just bought. Amelia
LikeLike
That is the European version of redbud. There is a native species here, and a variety of an Eastern species is the state tree of Oklahoma!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the idea that ornamentals in one country are native in another (logical but it always catches me out). Redbuds in nature must be a treat. Amelia
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Eastern redbud is more popular here than it is in the native range. The Western redbud is not so popular in home gardens because it does not last for very long.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is always something to think about in the garden – how long the spectacle of flowers or leaf colour – will last.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, but those who used to enjoy it also thought about how to perpetuate it by allowing a seedling or more to grow into a replacement before the parent died.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We try to keep a back-up for our favourite plants. It is space limiting, as we also try to propagate for friends. I have never quite managed to get a good “nursery” area worked into the garden design as I never knew we would need one when I started gardening.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not everyone needs a nursery. Some people actually appreciate plants that last only a few years, and then relinquish their space for something new and interesting.
LikeLike
That is so correct and if I lived in the U.K. I would have less need. Here, however, the selections in the professional nurseries is very poor and our friends are always grateful of getting something different. That said, I have been very pleased with the quality of plants I have been getting from the on-line nurseries. Amelia
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! We put so much of what gets removed from the landscape into the recovery nursery to use elsewhere in the landscapes, even though we know that we have no use for some of it. Instead, it goes to neighbors. It works out well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Amelia, stunning colours and great photos of how the different bees tackle the issue of reaching the nectar. Thanks and best wishes
Julian
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bee watching is a good confinement pastime, although even with more time we don’t seem to be getting near the end of our tasks in the garden. Amelia
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know the feeling Amelia!, BW Julian
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very similar to our Redbud. I’m curious about the origins of that common name.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The name comes from the myth that Judas hung himself from this tree. A further embroidery is that the flowers were white and from that day forward they all turned red :). Amelia
LikeLike
Your tree is very beautiful. I also liked the pictures of the carpenter bees with their blue wings. I saw them once in France but never here although there have been one or two reports this year in the UK.
LikeLike
The Carpenters are comic. They fly like tanks and often fly faster than their steering abilities allow them. They seem to be very attracted to flowers with pea-shaped flowers like the brooms, Wisteria, Coronilla and even broad bean flowers. Amelia
LikeLike