What are the other names for the Hong Kong orchid tree? The one you know may be among them

Hong Kong orchid tree family and order

Fabaceae, Fabales, Bauhinia variegata

Other names of the Hong Kong orchid tree

Red camel's foot tree, red Bauhinia variegata; Latin scientific name: Bauhinia blakeana Dunn

Distribution of the Hong Kong orchid tree

The Hong Kong orchid tree is mostly distributed in southern China and exists as a street tree in many cities. Because its flowers are brilliant and its tree form is graceful, 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.

Morphological characteristics of the Hong Kong orchid tree

Evergreen tree, tree height 6-10 m. The leaves are round or kidney-shaped, with two lobes at the tip, 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 has many branches, and the branchlets are slender and hairy; red or purple panicles, a single flower about the size of a palm, with a floral fragrance similar to that of an orchid. 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.

Growth habits of the Hong Kong orchid tree

The Hong Kong orchid tree likes 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 a nutrient-rich acidic soil environment and likes water but fears waterlogging.