Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Orange, Dark Red (Ratan aboli), Yellow, Delhi Crossandra , Arka Ambara, Arka Kanaka (IIHR varieties)
Number of Varieties
206
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Screen Cottage and Informal Garden, Urban areas, Wild
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
10-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm40.60 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Orange, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Dark 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
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Cuttings, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
Water daily during growing season
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead flowers, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Balanced 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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Hanging Basket, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Agroforestry
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Bronchitis, Cough, Liver problems, Menstrual Disorders
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Leaves
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Basketary, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Hedges, Tropical
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
CROSSANDRA infundibuliformis
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Crossandra, firecracker flower
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
Crossandra
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Crossandra
In French
arbre de papillon
Crossandra
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Crossandra
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Crossandra
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Crossandra
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Crossandra
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Crossandra
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Scrophulariales
Family
Fabaceae
Acanthaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Crossandra
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
50052
1
27800
👆🏻