Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Biennial
Type
Grass
Tree
Origin
Africa
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
Pennisetum glaucum
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
720
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Sunny Edge, Warmer regions
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-119-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 8
12-9
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Upright/Erect
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Brown, Purple, Purplish-black
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown, Cream
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple, Dark Green, Burgundy
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in winter, 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
15-0-15, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Alternaria Leaf Spot, eyespot, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Deer resistant, 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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Aphids, Bees, Birds
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Informal Hedge, Mixed Border, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
-
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
Branch, Flowering Tips, Whole plant
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Beneficial species for attracting pollinators, repels deer
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM glaucum 'purple millet'
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Millet, Pearl Millet
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
purple millet
Butterfly tree
In German
purple millet
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
millet pourpre
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
purple millet
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
purple millet
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
purple millet
árvore borboleta
In Polish
purple millet
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
purple millet
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cyperales
Fabales
Family
Poaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Pennisetum
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
Cercideae
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
1500
1
27800
👆🏻