Mountain Ebony
Bauhinia variegata
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Bauhinia variegata is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in saline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 12
Where it is found
Open valleys with good loamy soil at elevations of 150 - 1800 metres.
E. Asia - Pakistan to S. China.
Conservation Status: Least Concern.
Countries/locations it is found in
Native: China (Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Yunnan, Zhejiang); Lao People's Democratic Republic; Myanmar; Thailand; Viet Nam. Introduced: Bahamas; Brazil; Colombia; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Ethiopia; Fiji; Ghana; Grenada; Haiti; Indonesia; Iraq; Kenya; Malawi; Malaysia; Mauritius; Mexico; Mozambique; Nigeria; Norfolk Island; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Puerto Rico; Saint Lucia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Taiwan, Province of China (Taiwan, Province of China (main island) - Native); Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; United States; Zambia; Zimbabwe. Present - origin uncertain: Bangladesh; Bhutan; Hong Kong; India; Nepal; Pakistan; Tonga
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
The young leaves, flowers and fruits are boiled and eaten as a vegetable, or are pickled.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The bark is alterative, anthelmintic, astringent and tonic. The juice of the bark is used in the treatment of amoebic dysentery, diarrhoea and other stomach disrders. A paste of the bark is useful in the treatment of cuts and wounds, skin diseases, scrofula and ulcers. The dried buds are used in the treatment of piles, dysentery, diarrhoea and worms. The juice of the flowers is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and other stomach disorders. The root is used as an antidote to snake poison. A decoction of the root is used to treat dyspepsia.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
The bark is a source of tannins. It is used for dyeing. Wood - used for house construction and making household implements. A very popular ornamental tree in subtropical and tropical climates, grown for its scented flowers. The leaves, shoots and pods of B. variegata are used as fodder for livestock, including sheep, goats and cattle. Average leaf yield from a mature tree is about 20-22 kg fresh weight per annum. Erosion control or dune stabilization, Shade and shelter, Windbreak. Fuels:Charcoal, Fuelwood.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Prefers a fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, requiring a warm sheltered position in full sun. When grown in warm Temperate zones, this species can withstand short periods of temperatures as low as -5°c. In Britain, it is only likely to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of the country, and even then would probably require the protection of a south-facing wall. There are some cultivars, developed for their ornamental value. 243034
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water then sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. When large enough t handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in early summer, after the last expected frosts and consider giving some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, with the leaves removed, in moist sand July/August in a frame. Gentle bottom heat is usually required. Layering.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
Once established, B. variegata This plant can be weedy or invasive. Often become weedy and it has the potential to displace native vegetation. It is also difficult to manage because its seeds can remain viable for more than a year. In the US it is a noted weed in Florida.
Its other names
Local names
Buddhist bauhinia; butterfly tree; kachnar; orchid tree; paper mulberry; pink orchid tree; poor man's orchid; purple orchid tree. Spanish: gorro de Napoleón; mariposa; orchidea de pobre; orquidea de palo; puente de mono. French: arbre à orchidées; arbre de Saint-Thomas; bois de boeuf; sabot boeuf. Chinese: yang zi jing. Portuguese: árvore-de-São-Thomaz. Bangladesh: rakta-kamhar; swet-kanchan. Brazil: unha-de-vacca. Cuba: bauhinia. Dominican Republic: flamboyán; orquídea. Haiti: flamboyant. India: bahari kachnar; barial; bogakatra; bondantam; borara; botantam; chemmandarei; chuvanna-mandara; devakanchanaman; deva-kanchanmu; guiral; kachan; kachnar; kaliar; kanarai; kanchanar; kanchavala; kanchavalado; khwairai; kotava; kotidaram; kotora; kovidara; kurol; mandari; padrian; rakta-kamhar; raktha-kanchan; segapu-manchori; swet-kanchan; tamrapushpi; thaur Malaysia: akbar tapak kerbau; kotidaram; kupu-kupu. Nepal: koiralo. Pakistan: kachnar. Puerto Rico: palo de orquídeas.