Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Herbs
Tree
Origin
China, Japan, Korea
South-Eastern Asia, Southeastern Asia, China
Types
-
Purple Orchid Tree, White Orchid Tree, Bidi leaf tree
Number of Varieties
520
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Grassland, Homesteads, Open areas
Forests, Mountain Slopes, Valley
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-99-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-4
12-9
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 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
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm760.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm17.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Light Pink, Magenta, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Sandy Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green, Light Yellow, Ivory
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Yellow, Ivory
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Yellow, Ivory
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Gray Green, Yellow green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Round
Butterfly shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Divison, Stem Planting
Budding, Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Allow soil to be completely dry in between waterings, Keep ground moist, Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Over-head watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Poorly Drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade, Full Shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning, Shape and thin as needed
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
Pests and diseases free, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
Sometimes
Sometimes
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
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
Whole plant
Buds, Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
-
Fibre, Gum, Used as a dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Water Gardens
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PETASITES japonicus 'Variegatus'
BAUHINIA purpurea
Common Name
Giant Butterbur, Japanese Butterbur, Variegated Butterbur
Butterfly Tree, Orchid Tree
In Hindi
variegated butterbur
Butterfly tree
In German
bunte Pestwurz
Schmetterlings- Baum
In French
pétasite panachée
arbre de papillon
In Spanish
butterbur abigarrado
árbol de la mariposa
In Greek
διαφοροποιημένα butterbur
δέντρο πεταλούδα
In Portuguese
butterbur variegada
árvore borboleta
In Polish
barwny Lepiężnik
drzewo Butterfly
In Latin
varius butterbur
Gloria ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asterales
Fabales
Family
Asteraceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Petasites
Bauhinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Senecioneae
Cercideae
Subfamily
-
Caesalpinioideae
Number of Species
17500
1
27800
👆🏻