Orchid tree
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6Will it grow where I live?
Orchid tree is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. The summer heat it needs to ripen is out of reach outdoors in Central Europe – greenhouse or conservatory.
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Profile
- Family
- Leguminosae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 10 m
- Spread
- 7 m
- Growth
- fast
- Lifespan
- 55 years
- First yield
- after 3 years
- Hardiness
- zone 9–12
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- dry – very wet
- pH
- 5.3 – 8.6
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering |
Uses
Medicinal: The bark is blood-purifying, anthelmintic, astringent and tonic. The bark sap is used to treat amoebic dysentery, diarrhoea and other stomach complaints. A paste made from the bark is helpful for treating cuts, skin diseases, scrofula and ulcers. The dried buds are used to treat haemorrhoids, dysentery, diarrhoea and worm infestation. The flower sap is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and other stomach complaints. The root is used as an antidote for snake bites. A root decoction is used to treat indigestion.
Other uses: Die Rinde ist eine Quelle für Tannine und wird zum Färben verwendet. Das Holz dient dem Hausbau und der Herstellung von Haushaltsgegenständen. In subtropischen und tropischen Klimazonen ist der Baum ein sehr beliebter Zierbaum, der wegen seiner duftenden Blüten kultiviert wird. Blätter, Triebe und Hülsen von B. variegata werden als Futter für Nutztiere wie Schafe, Ziegen und Rinder verwendet. Der durchschnittliche Blattertrag eines ausgewachsenen Baumes beträgt etwa 20–22 kg Frischgewicht pro Jahr. Der Baum dient der Erosionskontrolle bzw. Dünenstabilisierung, spendet Schatten und Schutz und dient als Windschutz. Brennstoffe: Holzkohle, Brennholz
Origin & habitat
Pakistan, India, southern China
Open valleys in mountainous regions up to 1500m
Frequently asked questions
Orchid tree: how big does it get?
Orchid tree (Bauhinia variegata) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 10 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 7 m. Growth is fast.
Orchid tree: what site does it need?
Orchid tree tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 5.3 and 8.6.
Orchid tree: is it hardy?
Orchid tree is listed as hardy in zone 9–12 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Orchid tree: will it grow in Central Europe?
Orchid tree is not winter-hardy in Central Europe (zone 9): outdoors from spring to autumn only, otherwise a container plant overwintered frost-free. The summer heat it needs to ripen is out of reach outdoors in Central Europe – greenhouse or conservatory.
Orchid tree: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers from April to May.
Orchid tree: is it poisonous?
No toxicity is recorded for Orchid tree. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Orchid tree: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 4/10, Medicinal 5/10, Other uses 6/10.
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