Chihuahuan Orchid Tree
Bauhinia macranthera
Family: Fabaceae
OTHER COMMON NAMES
Sierra Orchid Tree
CHARACTERISTICS
Small, semi-deciduous, flowering shrub or tree, reaching as high as 10-15’. Pink flowers are produced in the late spring and summer. Legume bean pods follow the flowers. Unlike most other Bauhinia species, this species actually wants to be a vase-shaped small tree without much coaxing (pruning).
LANDSCAPE USE
This is a small ornamental shrub or tree. Its small size makes it a good screen, and patio tree.
GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED
SUN part sun to bright shade. Plants can be grown in full sun but can get beat up by summer. Avoid reflective heat.
WATER moderate water
SOIL good drainage preferred, some amendment
HARDINESS this species has survived cold snaps as low as 10°F in cultivation
BASIN middle
CONTAINER does ok in a large container
NUTRITION moderate to low
MAINTENANCE very little
ECOLOGY
Flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Larval host for the Long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus).
ETHNOBOTANY
Not much is known about human uses for this species besides ornamental uses.
NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Native to mountainous areas of northeastern and central Mexico.
TAXONOMY AND NAME
This species is in the Fabaceae, the legume family. There are 352 recognized species in Bauhinia with a pantropical distribution. The genus, Bauhinia, is named after the Swiss-French botanists Gaspard and Johann Bauhin. The species namem macranthera, is a Greek term that means "large" or "long anthers".
Flower details, photo by Liliana Ramírez-Freire, iNaturalist
Foliage detail photo by Luis Stevens, iNaturalist
In the wild the plants can often be found growing in rocky hillsides with other interesting plants, photo of one in Nuevo Leon by Carlos G Velazco-Macias, iNaturalist