They bloom at different times of the year, but their irrigation, sunlight, and fertilizer needs are identical.

This is interesting. The Hong Kong Orchid tree is a sterile hybrid of Bauhinia variegata x B. purpurea named Bauhinia x blakeana. I have never heard of a white form. There is a white form of B. variegata called "Candida" that is a beautiful tree. (I'll be at Lowes in the morning.)The big difference is that the Hong Kong hybrid does not make seed pods. The HKO tree is said to be less cold hardy, 26 deg and grows taller. I have seen mislabled Orchid trees at the big box garden centers before. If someone is using meristem cloning to produce HKO trees it is possible that a white form may have been produced. Nevertheless you'll know when your tree finishes blooming. If it has seeds pods it is probably the "Candida" Let us know.

john

Here is a link that might be useful: Hong Kong Orchid tree

John - The white one that is used quite often in the South Florida landscape is Bauhinia aculeata. I fairly certain that it is not sterile.

Fawnridge- Do they label B. aculeata as a Hong Kong Orchid Tree? One reason to plant a HKO tree is that it is sterile and therefore non-invasive. The B. variegata is listed as a class 1 invasive tree in central and south Fl. I have seen B. purpurea sold as a HKO tree at HD. It is not on the invasive list, but it will still drop seed pods all over your garden. I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine to see all the mislabled plants in these stores. I certainly don't have an enclyclopedic knowledge of all the plants they sell. If I spot 4 or 5 how many more are there?

based on the flowers for both mentioned(aculeata's leaves look similar but the flower is different) and comparing online,it looks to me like it's the b variegata candida.

However, I am worried about planting it because I live across the street from a wetlands(if it is considered invasive).

What do you think?

I'm curious. Does the plant tag give a botanical name? If the plant is B. variegata and the nurseries continue to sell it, what's the point of having an invasive plant list? If it were mine I would plant it. If it makes seeds I would trim them off. I do that with my Dwarf poinciana and I rarely find any sprouting.

john

Here is a link that might be useful: 2009 invasive plant list

The label says 14" Hong Kong Orchid Tree. It doesn't even say the color(just happens to be in bloom).

Thanks, I will definitely remove the pods as best I can, but no kidding these should not be sold in Florida...

Teeka

Well I'm hoping it doesn't make seeds and that someone has come up with a sterile cultivar. I'm surprised that someone hasn't recreated that hybrid. ( B. x blakeiana) That would be a good thing. ;>) This is the time of year that B. purpurea would be blooming.

john

Nancy, you might want to contact your county extension agent to find out if it is invasive in your area. You know how in different zones people experience different behaviors from the same plants? Sometimes we hear that from different gardeners on this forum. What might be invasive in zone 10, may not be in zone 9 or even 9b.

In any case, my neighbor had this tree (the candida) and just cut it down this year because it got diseased. However, it bloomed beautifully every year before this. It did get pods, but we never noticed any escapees. It was in an area with grass that got mowed regularly, though. We are in borderline 9b/ 10a (Sarasota).

I'm with John. I would plant it too.

Anna

I have a beautiful white orchid tree. I live in Orange City. It has been hit by the cold and when it was smaller, I would blanket it and put Christmas lights on it, but now it is too big and I can't reach all the way up It is about 12 to 15 feet tall so I do the best I can. It does seed. I have planted a few seeds and they "took" so I have a few small ones coming up. I bought it some years ago at the flea mkt in Mt Dora.

annafl is absolutely correct. Florid has drastically different micro climates that cater to different invasives.

a first hand example would be my experience with passionfruit. i grow different varieties down here in the sub tropics, but one, banana passion fruit (passiflora Mollina) wont grow down here at all.

here it is in Australia

Yes, I agree about plants being a problem in one zone and not another. In Orlando they grow blue sky vine and it behaves here I saw it take over the entire telephone poll and surrounding area. In this zone the white orchid tree was a pest, I had it once and the seedlings were everywhere and I took it out. Further north were they get more colder weather, it might not be a problem.

John, the FLEPPC has put out that Invasives list for some time, and there are lots of clueless nurseries, mainly the smaller ones that will continue to sell plants on that list. Simple. It's up to people to be responsible and not buy them

I do find it unnerving that many say so quickly "go ahead and plant it (the B. variegata cv.)", especially since it was mentioned Teeka lives next to a wetland! Did you mention means to ensure seedlings would be snuffed out in mulch or mowed over as a contingency for your "go ahead" recommendation?

And Boom1, CEntral and South FLorida are not microclimates...the Invasives lists distinguishes among the three parts of the state (N, C, S), primarily based on the winter cold limiting factor. Central and Southern can be ambiguous because of frosts, and often a killing freeze in lower central FL occurs (now seemingly) only once per decade, rather than annually.

gusolie, Yes I did suggest that she trim off the seedpods. The source of Teeka's tree was Lowes, hardly a small nursery. I also doubt that the vendor that supplies Lowes with these mislabled trees is a mom and pop operation. Call me suspicious, but I suspect that they are labeling these trees as Hong Kong Orchid Trees, because the HKO tree IS a sterile hybrid and therefore non-invasive. I really don't think they are clueless. Oh, and not to mention that the Bauhinia x blakeiana, (HKO tree) fetchs a much higher price than B variegata.

john