Redbud Tree

Work has been stressful and fraught with problems. Home has been over scheduled and fraught with problems. The mailbox even self destructed. It's been one of those weeks.

So as I drove to work this morning. Early to try to fix what wouldn't yesterday, I contemplated the redbud tree. Now is it's prime time. The showy imported cherry trees are past their prime the bradford pear have more leaf than flower. It's the native cherries and the redbuds that are stunning now.

What I like about the redbuds is the nature of their flowers. Small dense with a pleasant hue. It's the way they seem to cling along the limbs that I like. Each branch gets limned with color.

Many people quibble with the name redbud since the flowers are a pinky-purple color. I think, however, it's called that because that's an original color for it. I say this, because my neighborhood has some of the best old trees around. There are some stunning natural weeping cherry trees - not those fake fountain ones made from grafts either, these are the real deal. The other oddity is a small gnarled tree in the yard of the house on the corner. It looks like a redbud, it blooms with the redbuds but it's flowers aren't pinky-purple. They are red.

This short, gnarled tree is my bellweather of spring. And may I say that despite the rest of the crap going on in my life right now - nature is doing a fine job of making nice.