Purple Orchid Tree (Butterfly tree)

This small, fast-growing tree with a rounded crown and weeping branches reaches a height of 10 meters in nature. In the climatic zone of Estonia, it is grown as a houseplant.

The heart-shaped leaves, a pleasant green color with a bluish-grey hue, grow to a large size – 12 cm in length.

They look very decorative, and from September to November, before leaf fall begins, the branches of the bauhinia are covered with orchid-like purple flowers, clustered in small racemes, with a delightful fragrance. The tree, ablaze with purple flame, stands out as a bright spot.

Each flower reaches 10 cm in diameter and consists of 5 elongated petals, colored in a wide range of shades: from purple on the edges to almost white near the central vein, with numerous streaks and dots.

Bauhinia loves well-lit places, with direct sun in the morning and evening hours, or light partial shade. It is not demanding regarding soil composition, however, the soil requires good drainage.

Seeds are planted without pre-treatment into a moist soil mixture. At a soil temperature of +25+27°C, they germinate quickly, and seedlings appear in just 5-6 days. It is important not to bury the seeds deeply in the substrate, but to cover them with a layer about 5 mm thick. Seedlings develop very rapidly; under favorable conditions, they reach a height of 10 cm in two weeks and can grow a meter or more in 4 months. The plant blooms in its 2nd-3rd year.

 

Purple Orchid Tree, Butterfly tree.