Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Southeastern Asia
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
20200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, Water Deeply
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
-
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
अरवी
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
arbre de papillon
Colocasia
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Colocasia
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
Colocasia
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Colocasia
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Kolokazja
In Latin
Gloria ligno
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fabales
Arales
Family
Fabaceae
Araceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Alocasia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Cercideae
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Aroideae
Number of Species
50010
1
27800
👆🏻