Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree)
Cercis siliquastrum, also known as the Judas tree or love tree. A beautiful, small ornamental tree. In late spring, the bare branches are smothered in pea-like magenta flowers and popular with bees. These are followed by pretty, heart-shaped leaves that turn butter yellow before falling in autumn. Purple seed pods appear in summer.
As it's slow-growing and relatively compact, reaching around 4.5m x 4m in 20 years, the Judas tree is one of the best trees for a small garden. It's often multi-stemmed, which means it has an architectural appearance even when the branches are bare in winter.
