Bauhinia blakeana taxonomy
Fabaceae, Fabales, Bauhinia blakeana
Bauhinia blakeana aliases
Red-flowered bauhinia, red-flowered camel's foot tree; Latin scientific name: Bauhinia blakeana Dunn
Bauhinia blakeana distribution
Bauhinia blakeana is mostly distributed in southern China, where it exists as a street tree in many cities. Because of its vivid flowers and graceful tree form, it is deeply loved by local people; in 1965 it was chosen as the city flower of Hong Kong, China, and in 1990 it was designated as the pattern for the regional flag and regional emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Bauhinia blakeana morphological characteristics
Evergreen tree, 6-10 m tall. Leaves are round or kidney-shaped, with two lobes at the apex, the lobes rounded and blunt, resembling a goat's hoof; the upper surface is hairless, the lower surface sparsely covered with short soft hairs, leathery to the touch, usually wider than long; the tree is much branched, with slender twigs that are hairy; red or purple panicles, each flower about the size of a palm, with a fragrance similar to that of orchids. Bark dark brown, nearly smooth. Flowering period is from November to April of the following year, with March being the peak.
Bauhinia blakeana growth habits
Bauhinia blakeana prefers a high-temperature, humid and rainy climate and is not very cold-tolerant, but it can overwinter in areas south of the Tropic of Cancer in China; it likes nutrient-rich acidic soil and likes water but fears waterlogging.
