Hong Kong orchid tree: family and genus
Fabaceae, Fabales, Bauhinia blakeana
Hong Kong orchid tree: other names
Red flower Bauhinia, Hong Kong orchid tree; Latin scientific name: Bauhinia blakeana Dunn
Hong Kong orchid tree: distribution
The Hong Kong orchid tree is mostly distributed in southern China, where it exists as a street tree in many cities. Because of its brilliant flowers and graceful tree shape, 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.
Hong Kong orchid tree: morphological characteristics
Evergreen tree, 6-10 m tall. The leaves are round or kidney-shaped, with two lobes at the tip and a rounded, blunt notch, resembling a goat's hoof; the upper surface is hairless, the lower surface sparsely covered with short soft hairs, with a leathery feel, and the leaf width is usually greater than the leaf length; the tree has many branches, and the twigs are slender and hairy; the red or purple panicles bear single flowers about the size of a palm, with a fragrance similar to that of orchids. The bark is dark brown and nearly smooth. The flowering period is from November to April of the following year, with March being the peak.
Hong Kong orchid tree: growth habits
The Hong Kong orchid tree likes high temperatures and a humid, rainy climate, and is not very cold-tolerant, but it can overwinter in areas south of the Tropic of Cancer in China; it prefers a nutrient-rich acidic soil environment, and likes water but fears waterlogging.
