The Bauhinia is a genus that includes 250-500 species of trees, shrubs and woody vines, it a part of the larger Fabaceae (Bean or Pea) family. Most of the members of this family are found in the tropical regions of Central America, South America, Southern North America, Mexico, The West Indies, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Of them only 4 occur as naturalized in North America and 10 others are planted as ornamentals. The varieties found in North America include, Orchid Tree/Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia variegeta), Napoleon's Plume (Bauhinia monandra), Purple Orchid Tree/Butterfly Tree (Bauhinia purpurea), and White Orchid Tree (Bauhinia aculeata).
Image Citation: J.M.Garg (Own work) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image Citation: Fan Wen (Own work) http://www.flowersview.com/Bauhinia-galpinii-/02-IMG_7663.jpg.html https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43139234
Depending on what region the Bauhinia's are planted in, they can occur as either deciduous or evergreen. The leaves generally appear alternately, unifoliate, deeply notched at the tipped or Obcordate (heart shaped) and green in color. Depending on the species the color of the flowers can range from a pure white, buttery yellow, orange, light pink, deep magenta, red or purple. Flowers are 5-12 cm and all have five petals. Flowering time also varies by species. The fruits generally appear in flattened legumes that contain the seeds, the legume size varies from 13-25 cm long. The bark is gray and smooth becoming rougher with age. Most prefer acidic soils and do not tolerate salty or dry conditions well.
Image Citation: Joydeep, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20783690
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