South Carolina's redbuds are in bloom

Cercis canadenis, redbuds are in bloom in South Carolina and what a distinctive and lovely understory tree they are. Why they’re called redbuds is a mystery to me as the flowers are a soft purple – there are some white cultivars, but none are red. Like dogwoods, redbuds are happiest in partial shade; they aren’t picky about soil but don’t plant them where the soil stays damp; they won’t tolerate wet feet. They have the interesting habit of taking a slight zigzag at every new branch which makes them favorites of people like me who like to use sticks in flower arrangements – nothing in the world as boring as a straight stick, not much of an accent. Redbuds are in the pea family and the flowers are edible, and as the color is so lovely some people put then in salads.