This flowering tree is the Orchid Tree, Bauhinia variegata. It is native to southern and southeastern Asia and is widely planted throughout tropical and subtropical regions for its showy blossoms.

The common name comes from the flowers, which resemble orchids, although the tree is not related to the orchid family. The blossoms may be pink, lavender, purple or nearly white, often with deeper-colored markings on one of the petals.

The leaves are just as distinctive as the flowers. Each leaf is rounded but divided at the tip into two broad lobes. People often compare the shape to a butterfly, a camel’s hoof or a pair of joined hearts. This unusual leaf shape makes the tree easy to recognize even when it is not flowering.

Orchid Trees often lose some or all of their leaves before or during the flowering season. With fewer leaves hiding the branches, the blossoms become especially prominent and may cover much of the crown.

After flowering, the tree produces long, flat seed pods, showing that it belongs to the legume family—the same broad plant family as beans, peas and many other pod-bearing plants. As the pods dry, they turn brown and may split open to release the seeds.

The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators. In parts of its native range, the flower buds are also collected and used as food.

Bauhinia variegata is admired for the contrast between its delicate, orchid-like flowers and its bold, two-lobed leaves. When it comes into full bloom, it can transform an otherwise ordinary tree into one of the most striking sights in a tropical garden.