(Photos) Redbud trees in bloom

If you live in the lower Midwest, you are probably seeing some reddish-purple blossoms on small trees here and there. Those are eastern redbud trees. I live at the northern edge of its range.

Here's one in Morton Grove's Linne Woods along the banks of the North Branch of the Chicago River.

Here's a close-up of the that trees. The blossoms and the seeds are edible and they were a food source for Native Americans.

Here's another redbud--this one was photographed in Des Plaines' Alongquin Woods.

The eastern redbud is often confused with the cherry tree. They aren't even closely related.

That's me in Palos Park Woods last spring, not too far from where I grew up.