Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
-
Number of Varieties
2010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-136-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
10-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Bronze, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Oblanceolate to oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
Average Water Needs, Needs Very high moisture
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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 leaves
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
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
Butterflies
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Astringent, Styptic
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Bark, Flowers, Wood
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Foundation, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
CYRILLA racemiflora
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Leatherwood, Ironwood, Myrtle
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
Leatherwood
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Leather
In French
arbre de papillon
Leatherwood
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Leatherwood
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Leatherwood
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Leatherwood
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Leatherwood
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Leatherwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Ericales
Family
Fabaceae
Cyrillaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Cyrilla
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
5005
1
27800
👆🏻