Eastern Redbud. Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Christa Avampato.
My Brooklyn neighborhood is in full bloom with flowering trees putting on a colorful show for all of us. One of the trees that always catches my eyes this time of year is the Eastern Redbud. They grow bright pink, purple, and red buds directly from their trunks. Known as cauliflory and found mostly in the tropics in species such as cacao, jackfruit, and papaya, the evolutionary purpose of this adaptation has a few hypotheses.
1.) Foster as many partnerships as possible With the ability to grow flowers on the trunk, the Eastern Redbud can produce more flowers, allowing for more seed dispersal and pollination opportunities. Additionally, more animals can act as pollinators. For example, small mammals climbing onto the tree trunks wouldn’t normally play a role in pollination when the flowers are on delicate branches that cannot support the weight of these mammals. However, with flowers growing on the main trunk that can support them, they act as pollinators for the redbuds just as much as birds and small insects.
For us, emulating a redbud means considering all of the potential partnerships we have around us. How can we change what we’re doing to help them help us? Even if someone doesn’t normally play a certain role, could they fill that role if we altered the system in a way that allows them to participate?
Eastern Redbud. Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Christa Avampato.
2.) Energy and resource savings Without the need to grow a network on many delicate branches, flowering directly on the trunk saves the tree energy, water, and food. These resources can be poured into creating more flowers and therefore greater pollination and seed dispersal. The redbud certainly takes advantage of this, and in full bloom appears to explode with flowers.
There is nothing worse in nature than waste. Wasted energy can and often does mean the difference between life and death. Are we using all the resources we have in the most optimal way? Can we change how we operate to make better use of the resources we have to meet our ends goals?
3.) A matter of physics In the case of trees such as cacao, jackfruit, and papaya, the fruit is too heavy for small delicate branches to bear. The weight of the fruit requires a sturdier structure so they grow directly from the trunk. This also allows the fruit to grow to a larger side, and again, allows for greater seed dispersal.
Sometimes we’re forced to do things a certain way for the sake of practicality and to best meet our end goal. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but practicality is the agent of adaptation, moving us along to do exactly what needs to be done.
Eastern Redbud. Brooklyn, NY. Photo by Christa Avampato.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
2 thoughts on “What we can learn from Eastern Redbud trees”
Thank you. The redbut I have on the southern end of the nature coast of Florida (Gulf, estuary, Central) is SO old, or so I’m told by locals. 50+ yr maybe. And it blossoms in December, just enough to warm my heart, but stops them comes to full bloom in January. My homes sits high in the trees and this tree sprouts crooked outside and encompasses half the house’s windows, needing no art and no curtains. It’s stunning.
It’s provided us with 2 young trees. When these two were first sprouting up I didn’t know what they were and I even hacked one back many times. Both are now full-fledged trees about 8 years into it and only started to show their blossoms within the past couple seasons, more on time with other local trees, jan-Feb.
I love the way the blossoms come out first n these barn and dead-loiking branches. Best is that when the leaves come on and the branches get really heavy it allows for some trimming and I don’t feel bad. It is a gnarly and crazy looking tree in so many ways but what a precious gift.
I can’t forget to mention the sound of the bees. They happily hover over my head as I walk by without a care. Somehow the bright pink and the buzz of the bees makes it feel like spring when there is no reason for spring to be happening. I’ll have to ask the bee lady if there’s a special Honey associated with red buds.
I’m sure I got off track but I definitely enjoyed your article and had to share my appreciation for the unique ways of the red bud.
Christa Avampato 
Thank you. The redbut I have on the southern end of the nature coast of Florida (Gulf, estuary, Central) is SO old, or so I’m told by locals. 50+ yr maybe. And it blossoms in December, just enough to warm my heart, but stops them comes to full bloom in January. My homes sits high in the trees and this tree sprouts crooked outside and encompasses half the house’s windows, needing no art and no curtains. It’s stunning.
It’s provided us with 2 young trees. When these two were first sprouting up I didn’t know what they were and I even hacked one back many times. Both are now full-fledged trees about 8 years into it and only started to show their blossoms within the past couple seasons, more on time with other local trees, jan-Feb.
I love the way the blossoms come out first n these barn and dead-loiking branches. Best is that when the leaves come on and the branches get really heavy it allows for some trimming and I don’t feel bad. It is a gnarly and crazy looking tree in so many ways but what a precious gift.
I can’t forget to mention the sound of the bees. They happily hover over my head as I walk by without a care. Somehow the bright pink and the buzz of the bees makes it feel like spring when there is no reason for spring to be happening. I’ll have to ask the bee lady if there’s a special Honey associated with red buds.
I’m sure I got off track but I definitely enjoyed your article and had to share my appreciation for the unique ways of the red bud.
LikeLike
Oh what a wonderful share! Thank you so much. redbuds are endlessly fascinating!
LikeLike