Birth flower for March 22
Chinese redbud
Meaning: family bonds
Chinese redbud blooms in early spring before its leaves appear, with small magenta pea flowers packed straight onto the twigs and even the old trunk. An old Chinese tale says three brothers planned to split their inheritance, even the redbud in the yard, and the tree withered; when they changed their minds, it flourished again, so it stands for brotherly harmony. The flower on Hong Kong's flag is a different plant, the Hong Kong orchid tree.