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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] The unsung permaculture pea: redbud tree. : Permaculture
  • Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 02:13:19 -0400

The unsung permaculture pea: redbud tree. : Permaculture
https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/comments/9398e1/the_unsung_permaculture_pea_redbud_tree/?st=jk9ayacb&sh=479e6a8d

The unsung permaculture pea: redbud tree.
<https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/comments/9398e1/the_unsung_permaculture_pea_redbud_tree/>
(self.Permaculture <https://www.reddit.com/r/Permaculture/>)

submitted 6 hours ago by quizzicalquow
<https://www.reddit.com/user/quizzicalquow>

I'm sorry this isn't an article link and it's just a small compilation of
research I've done after reading the domestication part of Guns, Germs, and
Steel. One of the first domesticated plants was the simple pea for how
quickly it reproduces, the amount of nutrition, and how how true offspring
are to parent plants. Then it got me thinking about something I read fairly
recently: the redbud tree is in the same family as the modest pea... The
pea...

1 cup of peas yields 118 calories. 8 g. of protein, and 96% of recommended
vitamin C. For a plant that taste like sweaty jockstrap (I really can't
stand the taste of cooked peas) it really is what the kids are calling a
"superfood"

Now, after some quick google-fu I discovered not only are redbuds in the
same family as peas, but they're also edible... like... the whole plant is
useful. Except for the leaves to us, but I guess we could mulch the leaves
and make them useful that way *note* some caterpillars use the leaves of
redbuds so they are useful to the little fellows.

Now the tree itself is awesome. Not only does it have a awesome umbrella
shape to protect you from the sun's hot rays, but its heart-shaped leaves
reminds you that the shade is its sign of love to you. In the spring the
redbud is among the first trees to flower. It puts out beautiful bright
fuchsia-pink *not red* flowers. A closeup of these flowers shows they look
just like sweet pea flowers... same family and all. To make increase the
value of this beautiful ornamental tree
THE FLOWERS AREN'T JUST ORNAMENTAL!

The flowers are edible. Really, rub your fingers along the trunk and rip
some of those bad mother-fathers off (self-pollinating!). Shove them in
your mouth hole and you have a nice sweetly-sour taste. One old hippy
recommends putting the flowers in salads or pickling them.

Then, come later spring, the redbud sets pods. These little pods are
EDIBLE! You can eat them raw, fry them, pickle them, use the pea-fellows
inside as little capers. According to one fellow, the pods have 25%
protein, 8% fat, and 3% ash. Do you even redbud, *bro*?

If flowers and peapods are too girly or hippy for you and you're a manly
man, don't worry. The Appalachian type of venison/opossum/squirrel hunters
use young redbud twigs to spice up their kills. That's how this tree
obtained the nickname "spicewood tree."

So, in my garden, overlooking my Walking Egyptian Onions is the beautiful
redbud. Not only does he/she have style and grace, but it's a protein
powerhouse ready to pack a nutritious punch year after year. Not just
beautiful, but also brawny. Make a spot for it in your guilds as a
mid-story or understory tree.

Sources: http://www.eattheweeds.com/eastern-red-bud-pea-pods-on-a-tree/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercis_canadensis

https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=uJ9fW6rAFu61tgXRtKKADQ&q=pea+nutrition&oq=pea+nutr&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.35i39k1j0i20i263k1j0l8.393.1323.0.2106.9.7.0.0.0.0.176.599.0j4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..5.4.599.0..0i20i263i264k1j0i67k1j0i10k1.0.LZrZYeb-8E4




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