If you are looking for a "small" orchid tree that is a reliable bloomer and live in a sub-tropic zone.. this is the one for you. This plant has been container grown for 5 years. Blooms every mid summer.. needs little care. Very slow grower.
Bauhinia aculeata
close up of flower
What's the name (besides orchid tree) I might have to order that one. Rj
The name of the post... Bauhinia aculeata You will really enjoy it if you can find one to purchase.
Mine is in the ground, and it freezes back, but comes back in the spring, but it has yet to bloom, even though it is a good size this year. Maybe if it did not freeze every year it would bloom.
The bauhinia plants are called "pata de vaca"(foot of the cow) for the large leafed ones and "pata de cabra"(foot of the goat) for the small leaved ones like that one. I saw a pretty purple and white small flowered Bauhinia in town the other day. When I asked what it was they said "pata de cabra", lol, that's the only name they knew for it.
LOVE it!!! I have never seen it here....but will start looking. Thanks.
Cala.. so my tiny leafed Bauhinia grandidieri shoudl be called "pata de rata" (foot of rat).. LOL.. sorry.. couldn't help myself....
Oh MzM you are bad! Can't call it a rat foot, because they are refering to the split shape of the leaf. Is there a tiny cloven hoof animal we could name your's after?
okay.. okay... hmmmm are pigs smaller than sheep?? I don't think pigs could pass as "tiny"... ahemmmm .. nope.. not at all... okay.. we'll go with pig since I can't seem to find any other small ones... now.. you need to give it the Spanish name because I can't find my Spanish/English dictionary.
Hmmm.......I think that would be "pata de cerdo." I think pigs have little feet.
How about "Pata de una cabra del bebe" for "foot of a baby goat?"
Actually I think the word "pata" refers to the whole leg and the word "pie"(pronounced pee) refers to the foot, but my Spanish is terrible so don't rely on my translation, lol.
MzM, the smallest hoofed animal I can think of is the dik-dik (which I believe is a tiny member of the antelope family)... you can take it from there... ;)
Carter, I saw one of those at a zoo, they are so funny looking!
Carter.. that is perfect!!! found this about these cute little creatures.. Dik-Diks are graceful dwarf antelopes about the size of a fox terrier. At maturity they weigh up to 12 pounds and are 14 inches tall at the shoulder. These tiny animals (35cm shoulder-height) have almost no tail and a small tuft of hair on the head. Kirk's Dik-dik are reddish-brown with paler flanks and a white belly.
Okay Cala.. you really have your work cutout unless we do pata du dik-dik.. LMBO...
Well, I don't think there is a Spanish word for Dik-Dik. I guess we could say it pata de dik-dik, but would have to pronounce it deek-deek in accordance with Spanish language rules.
Nice the see the Bauhinia has some fans other than me lol. If anyone is interested in trading (preferably for other Bauhinias I don't have), I have seeds of the following:
B. mexicana (only 5 seeds)
galpinnii
bartletii (mexican native w/violet flowers & glossy leaves. Also have a few seedlings of this one to trade)
yunnanensis (vining)
petersiana ssp. macracantha
I had 3 of them growing from seed given by my friend in our area. One of them was doing so well till it went 8 ft. high. I noticed it was drying up. Then I realized one day that indeed it was dry and dead -- the termites had eaten the roots and killed it. It's a great loss, but two others are doing slowly - not higher than 4 ft. now. But I'm caring for it better. It's a beauty no doubt.
Dinu