Sterile hybrid orchid tree with large magenta-purple orchid-like flowers in autumn and winter, on a small tree to 8 m with characteristic bilobed butterfly-leaves. The floral emblem of Hong Kong.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 9–11 | −6.7 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H2 | 1 °C to 5 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 9 | −1 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 4–7 | 0 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Hybrid of B. variegata × B. purpurea, originally discovered as a single tree in Hong Kong in 1880 — all cultivated specimens are clones of that original tree
- Floral emblem of Hong Kong — depicted on the territory’s flag
- Sterile — does not set seed, so far safer than B. variegata (already in the database from batch 8) where that species is invasive
- Frost-tender — subtropical cultivation only
- Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.
Categories
Related plants
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