permaculture

[Sharon Gordon <gordonse@one.net>]

A
> I have a book on California native shrubs; it mentions that elderberry is 
> often found in the company of Western redbud here, a tall (10-20') 
> deciduous N-fixer shrub.  I am currently trying that association out on my 
> own property.
>
> There is also an Eastern redbud.  Redbud has lovely-colored flowers in the 
> spring and colored leaves in the fall; it would make a nice ornamental and 
> mulch-producing plant, as well as possible animal forage on the seed 
> pods.  I don't know what would eat redbud seed pods though.

Humans can eat the flowers of eastern or western redbuds raw or pickled 
like capers.
They are high in Vitamin C, which is helpful that early in the year.

The western seedpods and seeds are edible when cooked.  Don't know about
eastern ones.

If by chance, you live somewhere that you can get a variety of dogwood that 
blooms
at the same time as your redbud, this is a beautiful thing to see.

Sharon
gordonse@one.net