Aug 22, 2017 · 1 min read
You’re right. My Reader’s Digest Book of British Trees says “Legends abound . . . The tree is said to be the one on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself after betraying Christ, and its crooked stems are attributed to that event. . . the blooms represent Christ’s tears and their colour is a blush of shame.”
The real explanation is more prosaic: a corruption of Judaea Tree, from the area in Israel where it is very common.
I didn’t know the background to the dogwood tree name, but have now looked it up in the same book. Thanks for pointing me to the story — it’s a plant with quite a history.