Actually it's a Chinese Orchid Tree. It started blooming a few weeks ago and will continue till April or May. These are different from Bauhinia variegata, the one that blooms in spring and makes messy seedpods. The Chinese Orchid Tree is sterile, no seed pods. I have tried and tried to root cuttings. I talked to my friend at a nursery and he said I was taking too soft cuttings and at the wrong time of the year. I'm going to give the cuttings another try next summer.
Wow, that is a lovely bloom! And great that it has such a long bloom season!!!
That's beautiful, Susie. I think I need to move to Texas. LOL
Susie...We planted one about 8 months ago and I have learned that it is the fragrant one....is yours? My mentors tell me airlayering is the way to go...after blooming. OMG, it is so gorgeous!!!! and the fragrance wonderful.
Carol
Yes, this one is fragrant. I wondered if air layering would work. I'll give that a try too.
Beautiful Susie
Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patti
Suzie....here is mine....very very fragrant.
Susie,
What is the scientific name of your orchid tree?
lovely
Those are beautiful. Probably would not like our 18 degrees today. LOL Berrrrrr.
Betty
I think we have hit the high temperature today and it is 32 degrees and looks like snow. Let my zone envy begin!
It is still a beautiful plant, Susie!
Gorgeous color!
I'm going to dream that this beauty is blooming in my garden........eventhough it's snowing outside! :~)
It is Bauninia blakeana, a sterile hybrid. It is not very hardy, will not tolerate freezing temps for more than a few hours.
Plantfiles has some mistakes in their Bauhinia entries.
Those are gorgeous...
WOW, that's gorgeous. I wouldn't be able to grow it here.
Larry, it lost all of its leaves and some of the tip growth, but the tree as a whole came thru in good shape. Since we warmed right back up after the freak snow, it put out new growth and flowered again!
It was shivering this morning and the leaves were all folded in half. We were 36 degrees with hard winds and misting rain.
I found a supplier of B. blakeana. Before I make the plunge and buy one. Will it grown well in a 25 gal container. In my zone (8b), it would have to overwinter in the greenhouse. One more question! How warm would the greenhouse have to be for the Bauhinia to overwinter safely. I have the thermostat set at 45ºF. Thanks in advance for any help.
Well, Susie - what a thrill to see you on-board! Your tree is gorgeous!!!
Oh, what an outstanding flower that is, thanks for sharing that one. Of course, now I have to find one of those too.
betty--I think 45 degrees would be fine, I have mine in my greenhouse and during our cold snap my temps got down to about 35 inside the greenhouse for about a week and it's still fine. And last winter I kept it on a covered patio wrapped in greenhouse plastic (the patio, not the plant) so I'm sure that got down to 35 more regularly and it was fine there too. I think as long as you make sure they don't see frost or freezing temps they'll be fine.
ardesia--Top Tropicals and Gardino both usually carry these, not sure if they have them in stock right now, but if not I'm sure they'll be back.
That is a Beautiful Tree. I never knew the flowers were fragrant. There are a few Orchid trees in my neighborhood and they are beautiful. A neighbor gave me 2 little seedlings that are real skinny, still in pots and haven't done much. I guess I need to put them in the ground. I was thinking of keeping them in containers, but I don't know if they would do well. I am assuming the cultivar growing here is the blakeana from what I've read about them. I did a google search and found two that are sterile .... the one you apparently have, "Hong Kong Orchid Tree", Bauhinia blakeana and another one "Brazilian Orchid Tree", Bauhinia forficata which has white flowers. There's a third just called "Orchid Tree', Bauhinia variegata L. that has seed pods that says open violently when they are ripe and the seeds spread around. I found a couple with white flowers too, would love to have one of those .... Here's a link in case anyone wants to see them, just scroll down to Bauhinia.
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Fabaceae/Fabaceae.html
Bettyd: These trees grow here in Daytona Beach, zone 9a, and we get temp's down in the 30's and at times lower, so I would think your tree would do just fine in your greenhouse at 45 degrees. Of course, when our temp's get that low, it doesn't last more than a night or two. But, I would think if the tree is well established and not a little seedling, it would survive fine for awhile in the greenhouse.
The Hong Kong Orchid tree survives our hot and cold temps here in the desert.
Cala Lily, yes you can air layer them.
Thanks everyone for all the information. I'm going to get one. I have just the pot for it. I need to make room in my greenhouse for it next winter. Never seem to have enough room in there.
Here is a bauhinia that grows very well here and produces tons of seeds. It is blooming now and the seeds will be ready in about 2 1/2 months, that is fast! Last year I went by to see if the seeds were ripe, must have been in late June. When I got to the tree, not a seed in sight, but, there were hundreds of seedlings in the beds underneath. Some were already 18" tall, that is fast.
Our Chinese Orchid Tree is extremely fragrant!!!!
