Eastern Redbud leaves?

[Gator]

I have multiple Eastern redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) growing in my yard that i’m constantly trimming down. Since the branches are already down, are the leaves or branches safe to give to a bunny (or guinea pig)?

[Dface]

So the tree despite being part of the pea family contains toxic saponins. Now the extent of the toxicity or the level of absorption are up for debate, as many safe plants also contain saponins but are not damaging.
There are accounts of wild rabbits having a taste for it (but they are also better able to eat oak which is toxic over a long time) and it is used in livestock feeding
However, I have never tried it with my rabbits, and with so much conflicting information I probably wouldn’t feed it, just in case.

http://www.deer-rabbit.com/ <-heavily damaged by wild rabbits

https://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cercis+canadensis <-noted toxicity

[LBJ10]

I agree with Dface. I don’t know of a rabbit actually becoming sick from eating parts of this tree, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there. My guess is that the saponins make it undesirable/unpalatable more than anything else. But it’s always better to be safe and feed items that are known to be safe and do not have the potential cause any problems.

[Author]

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