In-between rain showers, with a deep blue threat approaching from the west, there were a few minutes this afternoon to check out the Eastern Redbud, which began just hinting its color midweek.

Nearby the redbud many birds, including a brown thrasher and an eastern towhee, cardinals, house finches, a bluebird, and a mockingbird, have gathered around the feeder today, but they all tucked themselves away as I approached to inspect the dark pink flowers.

Clusters of magenta flowers sit along the long, gray branches.  Some flowers emerge from the redbud’s trunk itself.

Temporarily “dug in” and never moved, this redbud sits much too close to the Carolina Sapphire (Arizona cypress), but the cypress is a nice background for the redbud’s showy blossoms.

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Cercis
Species: C. canadensis
Binomial name
Cercis canadensis
L.