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Bauhinia purpurea
Fabaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Bauhinia purpurea

Bauhinia purpurea

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

A plant of subtropical to tropical regions where it can usually be found at elevations from 500 - 2,000 metres, exceptionally to 3,000 metres. The mean annual temperature in its natural habitat ranges from 12 - 21°c; it experiences an absolute maximum shade temperature of 38 - 46°c and an absolute minimum of -1 - +9°c[1]. Severe frost kills the leaves of seedlings and saplings, but they can recover during the growing season[2]. It grows in areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 5,000mm[2, 1]. Grows best in a sunny position[3, 1]. Prefers a fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained, sandy, loamy or gravelly soil[3, 2]. The tree actually flowers best when growing on drier soils[2]. The plant is commonly cultivated in the tropics, where it sometimes escapes from cultivation. There are reports that it can become established in some areas and has been reported as 'invasive' in some Pacific Islands[4]. The growth of young plants is very rapid under favourable conditions. They have been known to attain heights of 3 metres within 12 months and to be almost 5 metres tall and flowering by the end of their second year[1]. The pods develop quickly, some attaining a good length whilst the tree is still in flower[1]. Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[5].

Propagation

Seed - it germinates readily, with up to 100% germinating after 14 months storage[1]. Sow in a nursery seedbed in light shade. Germination is very rapid, with seedlings appearing within 4 - 10 days[1]. Seedlings grow rapidly and, under good conditions, can be more than 1 metre tall within 2 months of germinating[1]. The seedlings are somewhat difficult to transplant and so are best moved to their permanent positions whilst still small. If larger plants are moved then they should be pruned back to allow easier establishment[1]. Layering Cuttings of half-ripe wood. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Bauhinia+purpurea>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]The Silviculture of Indian Trees — Troup. R.S. · Oxford, at the Clarendon Press · 1921 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎An excellent treatment.
  2. [2]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  5. [5]Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy — United States Department of Agriculture · http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en ↩︎An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
  6. [6]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  7. [7]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  8. [8]Flora of Pakistan — http://www.efloras.org ↩︎As of 2006, there is not much information on habitats available, but it is being developed and promises to be an excellent resource.
  9. [9]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  10. [10]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  11. [11]Green Manures and Manuring in the Tropics — Sornay P. De. Translated by Flattely F.W. · John Bale, Sons and Danielsson Ltd.: London · 1916 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎An excellent work on the subject, even if it was written almost 100 years ago. It also includes a section of useful Legumes. Can be downloaded from the Internet.
  12. [12]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
  13. [13]A Manual of Indian Timbers. — Gamble. J. S. · Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh · 1972 · ISBN - ↩︎First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.