Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Aquatics
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southern Asia
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Nelumbo nucifera
Number of Varieties
20100
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-139-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
21,22
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White, Red, Pink, Light Pink, Hot Pink, Rose, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Lime Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Orbicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, In Water, Pot
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
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly 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
Cut away fading foliage
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
20N–4.4P–16.6K at 20-d intervals
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Caterpillars
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single, Double, Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Beetles, Insects
Allergy
-
Constipation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
-
Promotes healthy skin, Provides herbal hair care
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Antidiarrhoeal, Astringent, Cancer, Cardiotonic, Febrifuge, Hypotensive, Resolvent, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Leaves are used to wrap small parcels, Roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Root is used as a vegetable
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
NELUMBO nucifera
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
East Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
पवित्र कमल
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Heiliges Lotus
In French
arbre de papillon
Lotus Sacré
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
loto sagrado
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
ιερή Lotus
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Lotus sagrado
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Sacred Lotus
In Latin
Gloria ligno
sacra Lotus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Proteales
Family
Fabaceae
Nymphaeaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Abelia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
-
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Nelumbonaceae
Number of Species
5005
1
27800
👆🏻