Garden Blog - Top Tropicals
Date: 1 Oct 2026
A shrub, a vine, or a tree? You decide! Bauhinia galpinii
🌺 A shrub, a vine, or a tree? You decide! Bauhinia galpinii.
One plant, three completely different ways to grow it. And butterflies love it, too!
Some plants just can't decide what they want to be. Bauhinia galpinii - Pride of De Kaap or Nasturtium Bauhinia, is native to South Africa. This unusual member of the orchid tree family has brilliant scarlet-orange flowers, butterfly-shaped leaves and a wonderfully flexible personality.
Unlike the familiar pink and purple orchid trees, this one doesn't insist on growing into a tree. Give it some room and a little imagination, and see what happens!
Most orchid trees produce large pink, purple or white blossoms. This one went in a completely different direction!
Its smaller, brilliant orange-red flowers resemble nasturtiums and appear in generous clusters. Against the deep green, two-lobed leaves that look like butterfly wings, the contrast is spectacular. And speaking of butterflies -
When Bauhinia galpinii is in full bloom, it can become a busy butterfly buffet. Large butterflies flutter from flower to flower, sipping nectar, while bees join the party.
The flowers aren't just beautiful to us. They provide a valuable nectar source for visiting pollinators. A sunny, flowering Bauhinia covered in butterflies is quite a sight!
Despite its exotic appearance, this South African beauty is remarkably easygoing. Give it full sun, well-drained soil and regular water while it establishes. Once mature, it handles heat and occasional drought beautifully.
💡It flowers generously through the warm months, often continuing into late fall in favorable climates.
Prune it to control its size, encourage branching or maintain your chosen shape.
In frost-prone areas, protect it from hard freezes.
🦋 Whether you want a flowering hedge, a cascading wall of scarlet or an unusual little tree, this Bauhinia is happy to play along.
And when the butterflies arrive? That's your garden's grand opening!
🛒 Grow your own Scarlet Bauhinia
📚 Learn more:
• Bauhinia galpinii in Plant Encyclopedia
• You won’t believe this red orchid tree exists!
• Why red flowers are so attractive?
• 8 Showy Shrubs to Plant This Fall for a Colorful Florida Winter
• 13 tropical flowers to plant in spring to attract pollinators year around
#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_plants #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals
One plant, three completely different ways to grow it. And butterflies love it, too!
Some plants just can't decide what they want to be. Bauhinia galpinii - Pride of De Kaap or Nasturtium Bauhinia, is native to South Africa. This unusual member of the orchid tree family has brilliant scarlet-orange flowers, butterfly-shaped leaves and a wonderfully flexible personality.
Unlike the familiar pink and purple orchid trees, this one doesn't insist on growing into a tree. Give it some room and a little imagination, and see what happens!
🌺 One plant, three garden personalities
- ✓ A flowering shrub. Let it grow naturally, spreading its long, arching branches into a broad, colorful mound. Perfect for a sunny spot where you need something spectacular.
- ✓ A flowering waterfall. Plant it above a retaining wall or train it along a fence. Its flexible branches can spill over the edges, creating cascades of fiery flowers. It isn't a true climbing vine, so give it support if you want it to grow upward.
- ✓ A small tree. Prefer a more formal look? With selective pruning and training, you can develop a woody trunk and a spreading canopy. One plant, three completely different garden designs!
🌺 An orchid tree disguised as a nasturtium
Most orchid trees produce large pink, purple or white blossoms. This one went in a completely different direction!
Its smaller, brilliant orange-red flowers resemble nasturtiums and appear in generous clusters. Against the deep green, two-lobed leaves that look like butterfly wings, the contrast is spectacular. And speaking of butterflies -
🌺 A butterfly magnet!
When Bauhinia galpinii is in full bloom, it can become a busy butterfly buffet. Large butterflies flutter from flower to flower, sipping nectar, while bees join the party.
The flowers aren't just beautiful to us. They provide a valuable nectar source for visiting pollinators. A sunny, flowering Bauhinia covered in butterflies is quite a sight!
🌺 Big on Flowers, Easy on Care
Despite its exotic appearance, this South African beauty is remarkably easygoing. Give it full sun, well-drained soil and regular water while it establishes. Once mature, it handles heat and occasional drought beautifully.
💡It flowers generously through the warm months, often continuing into late fall in favorable climates.
Prune it to control its size, encourage branching or maintain your chosen shape.
In frost-prone areas, protect it from hard freezes.
🦋 Whether you want a flowering hedge, a cascading wall of scarlet or an unusual little tree, this Bauhinia is happy to play along.
And when the butterflies arrive? That's your garden's grand opening!
🛒 Grow your own Scarlet Bauhinia
📚 Learn more:
• Bauhinia galpinii in Plant Encyclopedia
• You won’t believe this red orchid tree exists!
• Why red flowers are so attractive?
• 8 Showy Shrubs to Plant This Fall for a Colorful Florida Winter
• 13 tropical flowers to plant in spring to attract pollinators year around
#Hedges_with_benefits #Butterfly_plants #Discover
🟢 Join 👉 TopTropicals