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Botanical name: Bauhinia lunarioides
This shrubby variety can be pruned and maintained as a small tree; interesting, orchid like, pink or white flowers in spring and summer; foliage is deeply lobed, and looks like butterfly wings; great for the back of borders or for screening.
Other names: syn. Senegalia crassifolia
| Hardiness zone | 8a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | white |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 12 feet |
| Spread | 12 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | North American native |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Anacacho Orchid Tree features showy clusters of white orchid-like flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the branches from mid spring to mid summer. It has attractive dark green foliage with grayish green undersides throughout the season. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Anacacho Orchid Tree is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Anacacho Orchid Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Anacacho Orchid Tree will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America.
Anacacho Orchid Tree makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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