Bodnant is a form of Cercis siliquastrum also known as the Judas tree or the tree of Judea. The main attraction is the mass of deep pink / purple pea-like flowers in late spring.
The leaves emerge just after the flowers, initially bronze, then green over the summers, before turning yellowy-gold in the autumn.
Pea-like seed pods adorn the tree over the summer, staying on the tree into early winter.
Bodnant is a slow-growing tree which should eventually reach 3m-4m after 10 years, more in the longer term. It does best in a free-draining soil in full sun.
Keep it well-watered for the first few years, but once established Bodnant will tolerate periods of drought - it likes hot dry summers.
The species Cercis siliquastrum originates from southern Europe and western Asia, especially the eastern Mediterranean. Bodnant is a form of Cercis siliquastrum from a tree planted in Bodnant Garden in the Conway valley region of Wales in 1876 which has particularly striking blossom.