BAUHINIA purpurea (Purple Orchid Tree)

The Purple Orchid Tree (Bauhinia purpurea) carries broad purple pink petals that genuinely resemble orchids, in quantity from autumn into winter when little else is out. It settles at around 7m tall and 5m wide, and the leaves are as distinctive as the flowers, each split into two rounded lobes like a butterfly. This is the ex ground option: field grown, advanced and years ahead of a potted tree.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers when the garden is quiet. The main display runs through the cooler months, filling a gap most flowering trees leave open.
• A shade tree that is worth looking at. The canopy is broad enough to sit under and the foliage is unusual in its own right.
• Fast growing. It puts on height quickly, and an ex ground specimen has already done the slow years for you.
• Birds, bees and butterflies. Nectar rich flowers over a long season make it a genuinely useful tree for wildlife.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give it an open position where the flowering can be seen in full. Allow 5m of clear width and keep it back from the house.

Shade trees. The canopy throws real shade over a lawn or a seating area through summer, then thins as the tree drops leaves ahead of flowering.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 6m to 8m apart along a drive for a line that flowers together without the crowns tangling.

Growing the Purple Orchid Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and frosty southern gardens will not hold it. Protect young trees through their first two winters even in mild areas.

Soil. Well drained soil of almost any type. It is not fussy, but it will not sit in wet ground, so mound the planting site on heavy clay.

Water and feed. Water deeply through the first two summers, after which it is drought tolerant and handles real heat. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough, and heavy nitrogen gives leaf instead of flower.

Pruning. Prune after flowering rather than before, since buds form on the previous season's wood. Lift the lower branches for clearance while it is young and thin crossing limbs, because the timber is not especially strong.

What to expect when it arrives

Ex ground stock is field grown, root pruned and lifted with a root ball rather than raised in a pot, and it is sold as a single advanced specimen rather than by pot size. Expect a heavy root ball needing machinery and clear vehicle access on the day. Plant in the cooler months, water it in hard, and stake it for two years.

Allow a quiet season while the roots recover before you judge the flowering. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and plants are delivered Australia wide. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full ex ground tree range
• Compare other flowering trees
• Plants that feed bees and butterflies
• Advanced trees for immediate impact

Common questions

When does it flower?

Mainly through autumn and into winter, which is its real selling point in a warm garden. The tree sheds much of its foliage around the same time, so the flowers sit against open branches.

How much room does it need?

Around 7m tall and 5m wide at ten to fifteen years, and older trees push higher again. Allow 5m of clear width and keep it away from paving and services.

Does it make a mess?

Some. It sets long flat pods that dry, twist open and drop seed, and it can self-seed in warm frost free districts. Pull any seedlings while they are small, particularly if you back onto bushland.

Will it grow in a cool climate?

Not reliably. It takes light frost only and needs warmth to flower well, so it is limited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens.