The eastern redbud is a native understory tree that is also widely planted as an urban and home garden ornamental throughout the mid-Atlantic. In early spring, before its leaves emerge, the redbud's bare trunk and stems are covered with thousands of magenta-colored blooms which are visited by early pollinators like long-tongued bees. The trait of flowering directly from the trunk is called "caulifory" (meaning "flowering stems") and is rare outside of the flora of tropical regions like coffee, cacao, and bread fruit. The redbud is a member of the legume family; its peapod shaped seeds (appearing in the months after flowering) confirm this. Unlike many members of this family, however, it lacks root nodules needed to take nitrogen directly from the air. At Glenstone, it can be seen in profusion in the springtime, having been widely planted both as an ornamental and understory tree.