There seems to be some controversy about how the Judas tree gets its name (at least according to the five minutes effort I put into an internet search). Is it from the New Testament character (various convoluted stories)? Because early Mormons fancied some kind of resemblance to an Old Testament character (but wouldn’t that make it a Joshua tree)? Or a “false friends” translation from its French name, which actually means tree of Judea (its region of origin is in the eastern Mediterranean)?
Whatever, its red-purple flowers appear before the leaves in the early spring. This one is planted near the Conseervatory in West Park.