Does the Hong Kong Orchard Tree Have Pods With Seeds in Them?

Description

• The Hong Kong orchid tree is the choicest variety to grow because it has the largest, most colorful and fragrant flowers and the longest bloom time. Flowers are 5 to 6 inches wide, rose-purple to orchid-pink, arranged with three petals toward the top and two on the sides. Long stamens center the flower. They appear in clusters of a few to 20 flowers toward the ends of the branches from late October through March. Because the tree is a sterile hybrid, it cannot be pollinated and seedpods never form. Dark green, oval leaves have deeply notched tips and give a dense shade canopy. Trees grow to 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide.

Cultivation

• Trees grow quickly in either sun or partial shade. They need regular summer pruning to prevent lankiness and to develop an effective canopy. Sometimes young trees are slow to start. Fallen flowers can cover the ground under the tree, but this is offset because the tree doesn't produce messy seed pods. Hummingbirds visit the flowers. Trees are partially deciduous after flowering if they are irrigated and completely deciduous in dry locations. Leaves will also drop during cold weather. Hong Kong orchid tree is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through 12b.

Origin

• Discovered in 1880 on an island in Hong Kong, Bauhinia x blakeana was officially described in 1908. It became widely grown in Hong Kong and was adopted as the emblem of Hong Kong in 1965, appearing on stamps, coins and the regional flag. It is a commonly used street and park tree in Hawaii as well, and it grows in other subtropical and tropical areas of the world. Since trees don't produce seed, new plants are produced by grafting or air layering.

Comparison to Other Orchid Trees

• Purple or variegated orchid tree (Bauhinia variegata) has smaller 3- to 5-inch flowers in various shades of purple, blooming from about January to April in USDA zones 9 through 11. Petals slightly overlap, and there is a white variety, "Candida." Butterfly tree, also called purple orchid tree (Bauhinia purpurea), hardy in USDA zones 9b through 11, has fragrant, narrow-petaled 5-inch-wide flowers that come in a wide range of colors from white, pink, and rosy purple. The petals never overlap and the tree blooms from September through November. Both these species have long, narrow, brown, bean-like seedpods that stay on the tree through the winter. Fallen seedpods create a mess and also a potential problem because in some areas volunteer seedlings can cause invasive spread. Hong Kong orchid tree is more desirable because of its lack of seedpods.