Besides being fun to say, the name “Hong Kong Orchid” brings to mind an exotic location and beautiful flowers. That is exactly what you get with “Bauhinia blakeana” (also an exotic-sounding name). A large flowering tree with a rounded, spreading canopy, growing 20 to 40 feet in height, the Hong Kong Orchid Tree is composed of large, six to eight-inch-diameter, gray/green leaves. But it is the beautiful display of orchid-like blooms that makes this tree so desirable for the landscape. The blooms are large and showy, around six inches in diameter, in beautiful shades of purple, rose, and pink during the summer, fall, and early winter months. There is also a variety where the blooms start as white and turn to pink in a few days.
Since young trees can be irregularly shaped, pruning during the first several years after propagation is often needed to develop a more uniform shape. This tree is great as a specimen flowering tree in the landscape. Because it is fairly drought tolerant, it is often a flowering tree of choice for urban landscapes and roadways. The flowers are sterile and will not set seed so the plant will not drop long pods as other Orchid-Trees tend to do. With the right placement, selective pruning in the early years and proper care, this Hong Kong Orchid will be a showy centerpiece in your yard.
This plant column is a joint effort by all at In The Garden, Sanibel’s garden center, located at 3889 Sanibel Captiva Rd., Sanibel Island, Florida.