Redbud tree blossoming
Click for greater clarity.
Here’s another case of a wrong color name: the flowers of the redbud, Cercis canadensis, are at best pink. Be that as it may, these trees have been blossoming around Austin for the past couple of weeks. In this accelerated spring, although the redbud flowers have hardly been out long enough for us to admire them, new leaves are already beginning to make their appearance on the trees; you can see a few of them at the upper right of this picture, which I took along Great Northern Blvd. in north-central Austin on March 2.
© 2012 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
The flowers certainly are admirable. What a beautiful tree! Reminds me that cherry blossom season is not far off!
Cathy
March 4, 2012 at 6:16 AM
A good word: admirable. Because the blossoms are so admired, people here like to plant these native trees as ornamentals in their yards. There’s a species of cherry tree that’s native to our area too, but they’re less common than the redbuds and I haven’t seen any so far this season. Happy cherry blossoms to you when they arrive.
Steve Schwartzman
March 4, 2012 at 6:23 AM
Redbuds herald spring in PA. I have one on my property. All throughout the woods in eastern PA the understory is blooming with redbuds and dogwood.
Bonnie Michelle
March 4, 2012 at 7:35 AM
Happy redbud and dogwood spring to you! Dogwoods are common in eastern Texas; here in Austin, to a lesser extent, we have some rough-leaf dogwoods.
Steve Schwartzman
March 4, 2012 at 7:45 AM
How lovely. We were thinking along the same lines for our images today!
Meanderer
March 4, 2012 at 8:41 AM
A nice pink coincidence. Happy meandering into spring!
Steve Schwartzman
March 4, 2012 at 8:51 AM
I just saw my first redbud last week. They’re so beautiful against the pure blue, post-frontal-passage skies, and this is a lovely capture!
shoreacres
March 4, 2012 at 4:14 PM
They are indeed beautiful against the pure blue. We had day after day of gray skies here, and I was waiting for some blue so I could finally go out and do my yearly redbud thing before it got too late in the season. But I may have worried too much: today as I drove around I saw plenty of redbuds, especially smaller ones, that were still fully flowering and not yet showing any signs of leafing out.
Steve Schwartzman
March 4, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Lovely to see this sign of spring. Still all brown and gray up here.
Susan Scheid
March 4, 2012 at 9:51 PM
I’m sorry for your brown and gray. That’s one big reason for my leaving New York and moving south. All the wildflowers and blossoms you’ve been seeing here must seem strange, but I’m pleased that they’re brightening your wait for spring.
Steve Schwartzman
March 4, 2012 at 9:55 PM
I love Redbud trees…we have one in our front yard but no blossoms yet…I’ll just stare at this photo for a while!!
dhphotosite
March 5, 2012 at 1:03 PM
If ours are doing their thing, yours shouldn’t be too far behind, but you’re right that this one picture can tide you over till then.
Steve Schwartzman
March 5, 2012 at 2:11 PM
One of the things I like about reading blogs to do with nature is hearing when the seasons change round the world. If you’d asked me to guess where this tree was from I think I might have said somewhere in Asia. It makes me think of Japanese prints. Aside from the delicacy of the plant itself, I think that might be to do with your composition too. I like many of your photographs for their simplicity & the way you use the negative space. And the subjects appeal to me too!
Sonya Chasey
March 5, 2012 at 1:24 PM
As you’ve observed, most of the photographs I post are recent ones, so someone who keeps coming to this blog sees how the seasons are changing in Austin. Like you, in looking at blossoming redbuds I’m reminded of Asia, and in particular Japanese cherry trees (which are also well known in Washington D.C.).
As for my photographs, the delicacy of some of them comes from the plants themselves, but it doesn’t hurt that I move around a lot (including lying on the ground) to look for a harmonious composition. The background, or sometimes the lack of a distinguishable one, adds to the effect. Simplicity (minimalism) is also something I’m fond of—when I’m not leaning in the opposite direction and favoring complexity. Each has its place.
Steve Schwartzman
March 5, 2012 at 2:42 PM
They are so pretty! It will be so nice to see them again here in another month.
montucky
March 5, 2012 at 10:09 PM
They are pretty, but in another month those blossoms will be long gone here. Some redbuds have faded already, and we’re in full spring mode, with all sorts of old friends making their seasonal appearance.
Steve Schwartzman
March 5, 2012 at 10:22 PM
Redbud time is one of my favorite times of the year. They are amazing amongst the residual browns from winter and assure me that spring is in the air. Thanks for sharing!
cidnlars
March 6, 2012 at 4:48 AM
I’m happy to share something as pretty as redbud blossoms. From the comments it’s clear than people in many parts of the country look forward to them as a token of spring.
Steve Schwartzman
March 6, 2012 at 6:33 AM
I love these trees. When I moved here I was excited when the first spring came around and revealed that they were everywhere in the woods around me. I have since planted three of them along our drive here on the Farmlet. ~ Lynda
pixilated2
March 8, 2012 at 6:38 AM
Plenty of people in Austin have planted them as ornamentals to welcome the spring each year. Will you photograph some of yours for your blog?
Steve Schwartzman
March 8, 2012 at 7:24 AM
If they bloom this year! Last year I thought I had lost them because it got so cold. Too much cold. We had several nights in the teens and a few down below 10. It took them all summer to recover and I went in and judiciously removed the dead branches. While we wait, I have a couple of dogwoods I could show you…
Those are also native here! ~ L
pixilated2
March 8, 2012 at 7:47 AM
All right, let the dogwoods dominate.
Steve Schwartzman
March 8, 2012 at 8:50 AM
http://pixilatedtoo.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/photo-friday-country-haiku/
http://mycameraseye.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/monet-and-backlighting/
pixilated2
March 8, 2012 at 2:08 PM
I finally caught a photo of my little red bud tree. Not so elegant as yours, but I’m happy with it. Posted today. 😉
pixilated2
March 28, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Thanks for the link. I’m glad you’re finally getting to experience what has already gone away here.
Steve Schwartzman
March 28, 2012 at 12:51 PM
[…] Today’s picture comes from the March 2 session in north-central Austin that has already brought you a photograph of a blossoming redbud tree. […]
Yarrow « Portraits of Wildflowers
March 9, 2012 at 5:40 AM
The redbud is one of my favorite trees. Lovely image. 🙂
Robin
March 10, 2012 at 6:10 PM
Thanks. The redbud is a great announcer of spring.
Steve Schwartzman
March 10, 2012 at 7:07 PM
[…] along Great Northern Blvd. in north-central Austin that has already brought you a picture in which a blossoming redbud tree played the starring role. This time, in order to have the non-red redbud appear as a backdrop to […]
Coral honeysuckle « Portraits of Wildflowers
March 13, 2012 at 5:41 AM