Home
Garden Plants


Compare African Iris and Butterfly Tree


Butterfly Tree and African Iris


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Biennial  

Type
Tender Perennial  
Tree  

Origin
Southern Africa  
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China  

Types
Perennial  
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree  

Number of Varieties
50  
99+
20  
99+

Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions  
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley  

USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10  
9-13  

AHS Heat Zone
10-8  
12-9  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23  

Habit
Clump-Forming  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
61.30 cm  
99+
760.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.50 cm  
99+
17.80 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown  
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Green, Brown  
Green, Sandy Brown  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Grass like  
Butterfly shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Average  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Early Spring, Spring  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
No  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings  
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering  
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Average  
Well drained  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Pruning
Remove dead leaves  
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts  

Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer  
Apply N-P-K  

Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale  
Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
No  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies  
Birds  

Allergy
Skin irritation  
-  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
-  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic  
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
-  
Carminative, Laxative  

Part of Plant Used
Root  
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem  

Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant  
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens  
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor  
BAUHINIA purpurea  

Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily  
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree  

In Hindi
African Iris  
Butterfly tree  

In German
Afrikanische Iris  
Schmetterlings- Baum  

In French
African Iris  
arbre de papillon  

In Spanish
Iris africano  
árbol de la mariposa  

In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris  
δέντρο πεταλούδα  

In Portuguese
Iris africano  
árvore borboleta  

In Polish
Afryki Iris  
drzewo Butterfly  

In Latin
African Iris  
Gloria ligno  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Asparagales  
Fabales  

Family
Iridaceae  
Fabaceae  

Genus
Dietes  
Bauhinia  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
Irideae  
Cercideae  

Subfamily
Iridoideae  
Caesalpinioideae  

Number of Species
300  
99+
500  
99+

What is >>
<< All

Difference Between African Iris and Butterfly Tree

If you are confused whether African Iris or Butterfly Tree are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see African Iris and Butterfly Tree Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of African Iris are Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, whereas for Butterfly Tree fertilizers required are Apply N-P-K. Hence, one should know the basic difference between African Iris and Butterfly Tree if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

<Flowering Plants

Compare Bulb Plants

Importance of African Iris and Butterfly Tree

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Butterfly Tree. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Butterfly Tree as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of African Iris is whereas of Butterfly Tree is Carminative and Laxative. African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Butterfly Tree has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of African Iris vs Butterfly Tree

How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of African Iris vs Butterfly Tree and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of African Iris are Skin irritation whereas of Butterfly Tree have respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Butterfly Tree has no showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Butterfly Tree is not flowering . You can compare African Iris and Butterfly Tree facts and facts of other plants too.

Bulb Plants

Bulb Plants

» More Bulb Plants

Compare Bulb Plants

» More Compare Bulb Plants