Bauhinia galpinii, also named the African Plume, the Red Orchid Tree or the Pride of De Kaap, is named after the De Kaap valley, South of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga in the Northeastern region of South Africa. The species epithet "galpinii" honors Ernest Galpin (1858-1941), a South African plant collector. It is a Southern Africa evergreen to semi-evergreen sprawling shrub, up to 10 feet tall and 15 feet sprawl.
In its wild state this medium to large shrub behaves more as a climber, clambering through the trees and shrubs of the dense thicket vegetation in which it occurs. It can be encouraged in its clambering habit to cover pergolas or other structures and offer evergreen shade in your garden. It doesn't have to be grown in this fashion in your garden and with just a little pruning and training it can easily be trained into an attractive small tree or large garden shrub.
It produces its brick red flowers, 2.5 inches in diameter, for a long period from Spring to Fall. The leaves are two-lobed, grayish-green, resembling a butterfly in shape, and 2-3 cm long. The pods are straight, dark brown, 10-15 cm long and 2-3 cm broad.
Hardiness zones 9-11, (-5°C/25°F, 5°C/40°F) in Winter. It is hardy to drought and moderate frost, but may need protection from frost in the first two or three years after planting. Use sandy well drained potting soil. The pride of De Kaap is easy to cultivate and requires little attention once established. Grow in full sun and procure average water.
| Label |
No |
| Common name |
Red Orchid Tree |
| Family |
No |
| Genus |
No |
| Species |
Bauhinia galpinii |
| Cultivar |
No |
| Therapeutic uses |
No |
| Germination |
Bauhinia is easily propagated from seed. First, you can scarify the seeds, but this is not a must. Sow the seeds 1-2 cm deep in sandy well drained potting soil, placed in a warm position and kept moist, not soaking wet. Germination should occur within 3-4 weeks but it can take longer, don't give up. The process can be speeded up by soaking the seed overnight in hot water.
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| Scarification / Stratification |
Seed coats may be so hard that they are impermeable to water. They need to be scratched or broken using a knife or sandpaper, in order to germinate. Chip the seeds with a sharp knife or make a few swipes with a sharp edged file or use sandpaper to allow moisture being more readily absorbed.
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