Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, Texas, Canada
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
-
Number of Varieties
2025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Wet lands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-134-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Light Yellow, Ivory
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Red, Orange, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial 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
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
-
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
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
Insignificant
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
Birds
Allergy
-
Irritate the mucus membrane, Rash, Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
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
Sap
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used to make a black varnish for use in woodworking
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
-
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
TOXICODENDRON vernix
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Poison Dogwood, Poison Elderberry, Poison Sumac, Swamp Sumac
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
toxicodendron vernix
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
toxicodendron vernix
In French
arbre de papillon
TOXICODENDRON vernix
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
vérnix TOXICODENDRON
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Toxicodendron vernix
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
TOXICODENDRON vernix
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
toxicodendron vernix
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Natrum vernix
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Sapindales
Family
Fabaceae
Anacardiaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Toxicodendron
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
-
Number of Species
50035
1
27800
👆🏻