Judas tree

noun

: any of a genus (Cercis) of leguminous trees and shrubs (such as a redbud) often cultivated for their showy flowers

especially : a Eurasian tree or shrub (C. siliquastrum) with purplish pink flowers

Word History

Etymology

from the belief that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from a tree of this kind

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined above