Thank you for sharing this! I really hadn't thought about redbuds since I left Texas some 11 years ago... they were everywhere (around Austin) when I lived there, and I remember occasionally seeing the flowers used as garnish on salads in some of the trendier "green" restaurants. I didn't realize they were legumes...
Alas, they don't grow here in western Washington, at least not that I am aware of.
They aren't native to western Washington, but the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a great landscaping tree west of the Cascades. It's not bothered by pests or disease. They are recommended by our Oregon Cooperative Extension. They are planted in the San Juan Islands, Anacortes, Seattle, all over! I bet there are some by you somewhere! I'm in Oregon's Willamette Valley and they grow like gangbusters here. I hope you find some around you!