Fabaceae - Botanical Family

Bauhinia lunarioides makes a gorgeous display with its silvery gray bark and fragrant white flowers that resemble orchids.

This rare plant is one of the most spectacular Orchid trees in cultivation. Flowers and extremely showy, look like scarlet butterflies with bright yellow stripes at the base of each petal.

It grows into a small tree or bush. Plant in in full sun to get the most of its flowering season.

Rare collectible species. Fast growing.

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

Bauhinia mexicana forms a multi-trunked small tree/shrub covered with large and showy, but at the same time very delicate, pink or white flowers, from summer through early fall.

Nice landscape tree, good shade tree for summer. Bauhinias were named in honor of the brothers Bauhin, Swiss botanists of the 16th-17th century. Their characteristic twin lobed leaves give them a definite tropical look. The species name 'monandra' refers to the fact that they have only one stamen. Sensitive to chlorosis, treat with iron chelate. Although not generally necessary, they can be pruned after flowering. The blossom is spectacular, the tree is covered of flowers looking like orchids. Flower will start out as a pale yellow but turn to pink the next day with the center petal streaked with magenta. Bauhinia monandra is used in Brazil for the treatment of diabetes.

See Article about Bauhinia monandra.

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

See article about bauhinias.

Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the Kalahari White Bauhinia, or Bauhinia petersiana is a beautiful shrub or small tree. It can grow 5-10 feet tall when in the shape of a shrub, or 10-20 feet when in the form of a small tree. It is a member of the Bauhinia genus which also includes several flowering trees.

The Kalahari White Bauhinia has large, showy crinkled white flowers with off-white petals. The blooms appear in flushes during the summer months and last until autumn. These flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

This plant thrives best in the full sun, but it can handle some shade as well. It requires moderate amounts of water and can withstand periods of drought. It is hardy in USDA Zone 9-11.

In addition to its beauty, the Kalahari White Bauhinia has history. It is an ethnomedical plant, and its bark, leaves, and flowers have been used to aid digestion and treat skin conditions.

The Kalahari White Bauhinia is a beautiful and beneficial plant recognized by gardeners and plant enthusiasts alike. This plant can be grown in pots in cold regions, though they should be brought indoors when temperatures drop too low. To ensure good growth, it should be fertilized two times during its growing season and watered thoroughly in spring and summer months. Sun exposure should also be monitored in order to ensure that the Kalahari White Bauhinia receives enough light but not too much.

Small tree or shrub with beautiful bright Orchid-like flowers, red with white borders and yellow markings on petels. Young leaves are bright red. Rare species.

Nice landscape tree, good shade tree for summer. Bauhinias were named in honor of the brothers Bauhin, Swiss botanists of the 16th-17th century. Their characteristic twin lobed leaves give them a definite tropical look. Sensitive to chlorosis, treat with iron chelate. Although not generally necessary, they can be pruned after flowering. Flowers are fragrant.

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

Bauhinia rufescens is a shrub or small tree that can make a great bonsai due to its compact nature, tiny leaves, and slow growth. Leaves are very small, bilobate almost to the base, with semi-circular lobes, glabrous, with long petioles, greyish-green, less than 1". Flowers greenish-yellow to white and pale pink, in few-flowered racemes. Pods remain on the shrub for a long time. The plant is deciduous in drier areas and is an evergreen in wetter areas. It is often found in dry savannah, especially near stream banks. It is found in the entire Sahel and adjacent Sudan zone, from Senegal and Mauritania across North Ghana and Niger to central Sudan and Ethiopia. Native to: Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda.

The young plants are fairly hardy but need to be protected for at least 1 season. Growth is fairly slow, with a height of 3 ft expected after 2 years. Tolerates poor soils and drought.

In Ghana, farmers, hunters and field workers eat the wild fruits. The green and dried fruit and the leaves and shoots are valuable forage, favored by many species of wild and domestic animals, which may cause the extinction of B. rufescens in regions overstocked with livestock. In Sudan, the pods are said to be the most valuable forage for camels. An extract of the root is used as an astringent or antipyretic in local medicine. Leaves and fruit are applied for the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery and ophthalmic diseases. The bark of the roots and trunk is used to cure chest complaints, leprosy, diarrhea and dysentery and to reduce fever.

Small compact tree with 2-3" butterfly bi-fold leaves and clusters of small white flowers during spring - summer. Great for small yard or container. Butterfly and bee attractor. Can tolerate some freeze.