Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
203
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
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
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
-
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
Lignum Vitae
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Lignum Vitae
In French
arbre de papillon
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Palo santo
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
pau-santo
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Gloria ligno
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Sapindales
Family
Fabaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
5003
1
27800
👆🏻