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Butterfly Tree and Red Alder


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Biennial  

Type
Tree  
Tree  

Origin
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada  
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China  

Types
Not available  
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree  

Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest  
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley  

USDA Hardiness Zone
4-7  
9-13  

AHS Heat Zone
7-1  
12-9  

Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17  
H1, H2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23  

Habit
Pyramidal  
Upright/Erect  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
1,370.00 cm  
31
760.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
610.00 cm  
34
17.80 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Coral  
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Brown  
Green, Sandy Brown  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green  
Green, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green  
Green, Gray Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green  
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available  
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Ovate  
Butterfly shaped  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall  
Spring, Summer  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun  

Growth Rate
Fast  
Fast  

Type of Soil
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral  

Soil Drainage
Average  
Well drained  

Bloom Time
Early Spring  
Early Spring, Spring  

Repeat Bloomer
No  
No  

Tolerances
Maritime exposure, Salt water  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Ground  
Ground  

How to Plant?
Layering, Seedlings  
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Medium  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs  
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
Loam, Sand  
Clay, Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Average  
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, Nitrogen  
Apply N-P-K  

Pests and Diseases
Not Available  
Red blotch  

Plant Tolerance
Maritime exposure, Salt water  
Drought  

Facts

Flowers
Insignificant  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Not Available  
Single  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
Yes  
No  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
Yes  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
Yes  
No  

Showy Bark
Yes  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Medium  

Foliage Sheen
Glossy  
Matte  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Insects, Not Available  
Birds  

Allergy
Not Available  
Not Available  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose  
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose  

Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems  
Not Available  

Edible Uses
Yes  
Yes  

Environmental Uses
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree  
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent  
Carminative, Laxative  

Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap  
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem  

Other Uses
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge  
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees  
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
ALNUS rubra  
BAUHINIA purpurea  

Common Name
Oregon Alder, Red Alder  
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree  

In Hindi
red alder  
Butterfly tree  

In German
rot-Erle  
Schmetterlings- Baum  

In French
aulne rouge  
arbre de papillon  

In Spanish
aliso rojo  
árbol de la mariposa  

In Greek
κόκκινη σκλήθρα  
δέντρο πεταλούδα  

In Portuguese
amieiro vermelho  
árvore borboleta  

In Polish
czerwony olcha  
drzewo Butterfly  

In Latin
red alnus  
Gloria ligno  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Magnoliopsida  

Order
Fagales  
Fabales  

Family
Betulaceae  
Fabaceae  

Genus
Alnus  
Bauhinia  

Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids  

Tribe
Not Available  
Cercideae  

Subfamily
Not Available  
Caesalpinioideae  

Number of Species
35  
99+
500  
33

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