Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southwestern United States, Texas, Mexico
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Nassella tenuissima
Number of Varieties
2015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
driveways, open Woodlands, Roadsides, Rocky areas, Slopes, tree wells
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-136-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
11 - 4
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm50.80 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm55.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Yellow green, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green, Yellow green, Gold, Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Linear
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
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
Do not water excessively
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
Clay, 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
Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Apply 12-6-6 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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes, small hedge
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
Leaves
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Container, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
NASSELLA tenuissima
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Finestem Needlegrass, Mexican Feather Grass
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
Mexican Feather Grass
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Mexikanische Federgras
In French
arbre de papillon
Mexicaine Herbe Feather
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Pluma hierba mexicana
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Μεξικού Αστραπή Grass
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Mexican Pena Relva
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Mexican Feather trawy
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Mexicanus Pluma Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fabales
Cyperales
Family
Fabaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Nassella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Cercideae
Stipeae
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
500116
1
27800
👆🏻