Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Flowering Plants
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
United States
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
-
Number of Varieties
2025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Rich Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-134-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Upright/Erect
Mat-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm25.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Lavender, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Ovate-lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
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
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead flowers
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Rust
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Mild Allergen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Boils, Eczema, Intestinal disorders
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
As a tea substitute, Used as eyewash
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
Phlox bifida
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Phlox bifida, Phlox
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
Phlox bifida
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Phlox bifida
In French
arbre de papillon
Phlox bifida
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Phlox bifida
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Phlox bifida
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Phlox bifida
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Phlox bifida
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Phlox bifida
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Solanales
Family
Fabaceae
Polemoniaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Phlox
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
Phlocideae
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Polemonioideae
Number of Species
50067
1
27800
👆🏻