SEEDS (10pcs/bag)
Common names: White Dwarf Bauhinia, White Orchid Tree, Snowy Orchid Tree
Scientific name: Bauhinia acuminata
Family: Fabaceae
Plant history & use:
White Dwarf Bauhinia is a small-grown species in the same genus as the Orchid Tree and Purple Bauhinia with origins somewhere around the Malay Archipelago.
The flowers smell sweet and delicious. A common hedge and park plant in the tropics.
In Java, the roots are used to treat coughs and colds. The roots are placed in a cold mixture of alcohol and water and then drunk. In India, a decoction is made of the leaves and bark to treat asthma.
This plant works in symbiosis with bacteria in the soil to fix nitrogen from the air (air pores in soil).
Culture:
This species probably has a slightly lower hardiness than the Orchid Tree and the Purpurbauhinian , but at the same time is the species best suited for growing in pots due to its size. Leave outside during the warmer months and move for frost-free wintering. However, it can handle some minus degrees (about -6ºC) for shorter periods.
Cultivated in a well-drained and loamy soil. Place in full sun to partial shade.
Thrives well in greenhouses.
Sowing:
Soak the seeds for 1-2 days before sowing.
Preferably sow indoors or in a greenhouse under a 1 cm layer of soil. Keep the seed moist. The seeds can be considered fast-growing, it usually does not take more than about 1 week before the seeds start to germinate, some of the seeds take longer.
Characteristics:
Age: Perennial
Plant position: shade/semi-shade/sun
Height: 2-3 m
Germination time: 1-3 weeks