Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southeastern Asia, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
-
Number of Varieties
20-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H2, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm1,370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Light Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires a lot of watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
-
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
constipation, Diarrhea, Digestive disorders, Dysentry, Fever, Tooth ache
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Making Shampoo, Making Sweet Scented Oil, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
ALEURITES moluccanus
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Candleberry, Candlenut, Kukui
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
candlenut पेड़
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Candlenut Baum
In French
arbre de papillon
arbre Candlenut
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
árbol candlenut
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
candlenut δέντρο
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
candlenut árvore
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Tung Molukański drzewo
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Candlenut ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Dicotyledonae
Order
Fabales
Malpighiales
Family
Fabaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Aleurites
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cercideae
Aleuritideae
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Crotonoideae
Number of Species
500600
1
27800
👆🏻