Judas Tree (Circis siliquastrum) in bloom at Maidencombe, Torquay.
This Judas tree grows at Maidencombe near Torquay and is believed to have been brought to England from The Lebanon in the C16. The picture shows this tree blooming in 2013. Legend says that the Judas Tree, (Circis siliquastrum) is so named as it is the tree on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself. An alternative explanation is from the French, Arbre de Judée, meaning Tree of Judea, where it grows naturally. Both explanations refer to the origins of the tree in the Middle East. In Britain the Judas Tree blooms in June, with a mass of pink flowers which open before the leaves appear. The flowers are edible. Later the flowers produce vertically hanging flat pods which contain the seeds.
Size: 4752px × 3168px
Location: Maidencombe, Torquay, Devon, UK.
Photo credit: © John Husband / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: circis, devon, flowering, gardening, iscariot, judas, maidencombe, shrubs, siliquastrum, torquay, tree, village, villages
