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