Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Orchid Tree)

Botanical name: Bauhinia tomentosa

Common names: Yellow Orchid Tree, Yellow Bell Bauhinia, St. Thomas Tree

Family: Fabaceae

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae

Origin: East Asia

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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Not fussy about soil. Pale yellow flowers facing downward. Nice specimen tree for the small yard. The bell-shaped yellow flowers have a black marking in the throat and may turn pinkish with age. Leaves smell like burned rubber when rubbed. This vigorous shrub or small tree is suitable for a mixed border or rockery. Plant in well-drained soil. Protect young plants from frost. Prune to keep in shape. A food supplement - Kachnar - is made out of this plant as a gargle for sore throats, as a paste for skin diseases, or internally as a remedy for diarrhea.

Learn more: Bauhinias: trees with Orchid Flowers and Butterfly Wings

Similar plants: Bauhinia tomentosa (Yellow Orchid Tree)

• Bauhinia acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree)
• Bauhinia aureifolia (Gold Leaf Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia bassacensis (Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia bidentata (Orange Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree)
• Bauhinia bowkeri (Kei White Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia corymbosa (Vining bauhinia)
• Bauhinia cunninghamii (Jigal Tree)
• Bauhinia divaricata (Butterfly Orchid Tree)
• Bauhinia forficata (Pata de Vaca)