Bauhinia

Bauhinia trees typically reach a height of 6–12 m and their branches spread 3–6 m outwards. The lobed leaves usually are 10–15 cm across. The five-petaled flowers are 7.5–12.5 cm diameter, generally in shades of red, pink, purple, orange, or yellow, and are often fragrant. The tree begins flowering in late winter and often continues to flower into early summer. ==Cultivation==

Propagation of Bauhinia species is from seeds or cuttings. They thrive in alkaline soils and do not tolerate salty conditions. Full sun exposure is preferred but they can be grown under partial sun. Generous watering is needed during summer; moderate moisture required in winter. ==Species==

'' '' fruit '' '' '' '' '' is almost leafless during flowering. Bauhinia purpurea and Bauhinia blakeana'', which are often confused with B. variegata, are leafy during flowering. , Plants of the World Online accepts the following 187 species: Hybrids One hybrid is known, Bauhinia × blakeana S. T. Dunn (Bauhinia variegata × Bauhinia purpurea)—Hong Kong orchid tree. Fossils The oldest known species is B. tibetensis, known from fossil leaves from the Late Paleocene of the Tibetan Plateau, where it inhabited the Kohistan-Ladakh Arc, an island arc that existed in the region at the time. It has been suggested that the Asian clade of Bauhinia originated as early as the Early Paleocene, when it dispersed from the genus's region of origin in Africa. • †Bauhinia cretacea Newberry • †Bauhinia fotana F.M.B. Jacques et al. • †Bauhinia gigantea Newberry • †Bauhinia gracilis J.R. Tao • †Bauhinia larsenii D.X. Zhang & Y. F. Chen • †Bauhinia ningmingensis Qi Wang, Z. Q. Song, Y. F. Chen, S. Shen & Z. Y. Li • †Bauhinia tibetensis Y. Gao et T. Su • †Bauhinia ungulatoides Y.X.Lin, W.O.Wong, G.L.Shi, S.Shen & Z.Y.Li • †Bauhinia wenshanensis H.H. Meng & Z.K. Zhou • †Bauhinia wyomingiana Brown Segregated genera Species in the genera Barklya, Gigasiphon, Lysiphyllum, Phanera (including Lasiobema), Piliostigma, Schnella, and Tylosema are sometimes included in Bauhinia sensu lato or considered as tribe Bauhinieae. ==References==