Life Span
Annual
Biennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
1520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-89-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
12-9
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Carminative, Laxative
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
Butterfly tree
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
prairie dropseed
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
árvore borboleta
In Polish
łąka dropseed
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Fabales
Family
Poaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Cercideae
Subfamily
-
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
10500
1
27800
👆🏻