Tree Of The Month (November- Purple Orchid & Hong Kong Orchid  )

November is not a great month for spotting flowing trees. Some exotics, like guest tree, earpod wattle, Siamese cassia flower a bit in November. One mother and child duo start flowering in November. Why mother and child? That is the story.

Bauhinias are a group of trees or shrubs universally known as “Kanchan” in Bengali. All of them have bilobed leaves like the camel foot. The shrub species have white or yellow flowers. The tree varieties “usually” bear purple-coloured flowers. There are two pure species of tree Bauhinia that we found in our city parks, purple orchid tree (Bauhinia purpurea) and Variegated Bauhinia (Bauhinia variegata). Purple orchid tree, as the name suggests usually bear purple-coloured flowers starting from November. By early January, their flowing season is over and all that is left are long pods dangling from there trees. Variegated Bauhinia, one the other hand, flowers in spring (Feb/Mar), when the tree is completely leafless.

A natural hybrid between these two species was found near Hong Kong sea shore late nineteenth century). This tree is called Hong Kong Orchid tree. Recent genetic research determined that its mother is purple orchid tree and father is Variegated Bauhinia. It has combined flowering ability of both the parents. It starts flowering early like its mother but continues till when its father flowers, which is till March!

Like all hybrids, Hong Kong Orchid is sterile and does not fruit. So, all the Hong Kong Orchid trees around the world have been propagated vegetatively from that single tree found in Hong Kong! And this tree’s flower colour is only purple. After all, it is a single tree wherever you find it in the world!