Plant · GBIF taxon 2953251
Orchid Tree
Bauhinia variegataAlso known as Mountain Ebony, Kachnar, Poor Man's Orchid, Butterfly Tree
Orchid trees burst into dramatic displays of fragrant, magenta or white orchid-like blossoms in late winter before new foliage appears. Distinctive two-lobed leaves resemble butterfly wings or cattle hooves, folding slightly along the midrib in evening hours. Widely cultivated across the global tropics and subtropics, it enriches surrounding soil through nitrogen-fixing associations and attracts abundant bees and butterflies.
FloweringOrnamentalDeciduous
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—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthesis
Predators
- Caterpillars
- Wood-boring beetles
- Spider mites
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation in native range; displacement of native flora where naturalized
HabitatsSubtropical dry deciduous forests, foothills, gardens, and roadsides
Life span30–50 years
Classification
- OrderFabales
- FamilyFabaceae
- GenusBauhinia
- SpeciesBauhinia variegata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Flowering Season: Look for heavy floral displays in late winter and early spring before foliage emerges.
- Leaf Identification: Check for distinctive cleft leaves with rounded lobes resembling cloven hooves.
- Seed Pods: Observe long, flat woody pods that burst audibly when drying to disperse seeds.
Pollinator Peterwchen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by portioid · cc-by
Hybrid Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子 · cc0
Close Relative Joydeep / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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