Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Fruits, Trees
Origin
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tropical Indomalaya
Types
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Feronia limonia, Limonia acidissima
Number of Varieties
201
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-13-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
-
Habit
Upright/Erect
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
760.00 cm800.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
17.80 cm900.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Sandy Brown
Greyish Brown, Light Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Butterfly shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer
Autumn
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Rich
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Budding, Layering, root cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Rich
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
Prune after harvesting, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
for fruiting plants, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Allergy
-
Gastric
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Good Cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Carminative, Laxative
Blood cleanser, Diabetes, Ear ache, Energy, Kidney problems, Liver Protection, Malaria, Respiratory Disorders, Snakebite
Part of Plant Used
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Fruits
Other Uses
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Edible, Fruit Tree
Botanical Name
BAUHINIA purpurea
Limonia acidissima
Common Name
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
Wood apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit
In Hindi
Butterfly tree
कबिट
In German
Schmetterlings- Baum
Indischer Holzapfel
In French
arbre de papillon
Kawista
In Spanish
árbol de la mariposa
Kawista
In Greek
δέντρο πεταλούδα
γλυκό ασβέστη
In Portuguese
árvore borboleta
Limonia
In Polish
drzewo Butterfly
Feronia słoniowa
In Latin
Gloria ligno
dulcis ad cinerem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fabales
Sapindales
Family
Fabaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Bauhinia
Limonia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Tribe
Cercideae
Citreae
Subfamily
Caesalpinioideae
Aurantioideae
Number of Species
5001
1
27800
👆🏻