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

Bauhinia tomentosa

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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 acuminata (Dwarf White Orchid Tree, White Bauhinia, Kaa-long, Snowy Orchid)
• Bauhinia aureifolia (Gold Leaf Bauhinia, Bai Mai Si Thong)
• Bauhinia bassacensis, Phanera bassacensis (Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia bidentata, Phanera bidentata (Orange Bauhinia, Orange Orchid Vine)
• Bauhinia blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree)
• Bauhinia bowkeri (Kei White Bauhinia, Bowker's Bauhinia, Keibeesklou)
• Bauhinia corymbosa, Phanera corymbosa (Vining bauhinia, Climbing Bauhinia, Camel's foot)
• Bauhinia cunninghamii, Lysiphyllum cunninghamii (Jigal Tree, Kimberley Bauhinia)
• Bauhinia divaricata (Butterfly Orchid Tree)
• Bauhinia forficata, Bauhinia candicans (Pata de Vaca, Brazilian Orchid Tree)