Family: Fabaceae
Common name: White orchid tree, Dwarf white bauhinia, Snowy orchid-tree, Dwarf White Orchid Tree, Mandaaram, Safed Kachnar, Kanchan
White orchid tree is a beautiful flowering plant or small tree that can grow in a quiet, sunny corner of your garden producing pristine white flowers year after year. They are native to South East Asia and are seen in countries like India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines – countries with warm, tropical weather.
Plant characteristics
These small trees can grow to a height of 2-3 meters, almost as tall as a small tree with an erect, woody trunk that branches well to give the tree a well-rounded canopy. Young stems are green and tender turning woody and brown as they mature.
Leaves of the White orchid tree are quite distinctive, but similar to those of other Bauhinia plants like the Orchid tree or Bauhinia purpurea. They are bi-lobed with a unique shape that looks like ox’s hooves or they can even be called heart-shaped.
These leaves are 6-15 cm long and about as wide, bright green, with a deep cleft in the middle that is about 5 cm long.
Flowers of the White Orchid Tree is beautiful, large, and slightly fragrant. They are mostly pure white, sometimes with a hint of pale yellow at the base of the petals. The flowers are 8-12 cm in diameter with five delicate petals that resemble orchids, and hence the tree gets its name White Orchid Tree.
Yellow-tipped stamens and a green curvy style can be seen at the center of the flowers. White Orchid trees flower well from spring to summer, their beautiful flowers attracting small birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects.
Fruits of the White Orchid tree are long pods, typical of the pea and beans family of Fabaceae. They are thin, about 10-15 cm long with several flattened seeds. These fruit pods are initially green, slowly turning brown and black before they split open to release the seeds into the soil.
Gardening Tips
White Orchid trees prefer warm, tropical weather with good sunshine and rains. They can grow in a range of soil types, though they grow best in well-drained, fertile soil.
Water and fertilize the plant during the growing years after which they can be pretty much ignored until peak summer when they would need occasional watering.
Pruning can be done to keep the tree well-rounded, and to trim any enthusiastic branches that grow too long in search of sunlight. White orchid trees can produce small seedlings under them from the seeds that germinate. It is better to remove and replant them since these small plants might not grow well in the shade of the parent tree.
Medicinal Uses
Different parts of the White Orchid tree have been used to treat wounds and skin infections in traditional herbal medicine, since they have antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
They are mostly grown as ornamental trees, loved by gardeners and landscapers for their beautiful leaves, snowflake-like flowers and ease of maintenance.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings. Seeds can be sown in spring or summer, keeping the soil moist till they germinate. Stem cuttings should taken from healthy, supple branches and planted after dipping the end in a rooting hormone.
Photographed at: Thrissur, Kerala
