Bauhinia purpurea Seeds | Hong Kong Orchid Tree Magenta
.jpg "Orchid Tree seeds (Bauhinia purpurea)")
LATIN NAME: Bauhinia purpurea
COMMON NAME: Orchid Tree
Plant Profile
Orchid Tree (Bauhinia purpurea) grows as a tree in the pea family. Orchid tree is magenta splash of warm street, and wide, orchid-like flowers cover crown through early spring. Tree is a fine, bold presence of warm garden, avenue and the courtyard. It is a tree of open, sunny, well-drained ground. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the pea family, Bauhinia purpurea draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.
Uses & Benefits
Orchid Tree works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Orchid tree is a fine, bold tree of warm garden and the avenue. It has been written up in horticultural papers for magenta flowers and bold, early ways, and it is a fine, long-lived tree of open, sunny, well-drained garden. Orchid tree is one of bold flowering trees of warm street, and bilobed, butterfly-shaped leaves follow magenta flowers. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Orchid trees are beloved ornamentals, and in India the leaves and bark have Ayurvedic records for thyroid and blood sugar support, now under laboratory study. The flower buds are also eaten as a vegetable in parts of Asia.
Growing from Seed
Orchid Tree grows readily from seed. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Orchid Tree repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
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