Garden Trees, Shrubs & Vines
Kaleigh Brillon
It’s understandable if you’re always on the hunt for beautiful flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. They’re fun to watch when you lounge on the patio, and they make great gardening companions while you get your hands dirty in the soil. If your garden could use a pollinator boost, try planting the gorgeous Hong Kong orchid tree. The flowers of the trees are eye-catching to critters, but they’ll also draw humans in too!
Hong Kong orchid trees grow well in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11, meaning they’ll be challenging to grow in cooler climates. You can grow them in containers and during winter move them indoors, but they likely won’t reach their full size, which is up to 40 feet tall. Whether you have this tree as a small container plant or a large shade tree, you’ll be mesmerized by all the pollinating visitors it will attract.
Hong Kong orchid trees will dazzle the pollinators
Bill Perry/Shutterstock
There are many reasons to love the Hong Kong orchid tree, especially for pollinators. These tall trees are covered in clusters of flowers, giving every bird and bug plenty to pollinate. The best part of the flowers is their fragrance; they’ll smell good to you and attract many pollinators with their sweet scent. The flowers are typically purple, but you can also find them in pink and magenta shades.
Many people find orchid trees to be cumbersome to care for due to the seed pods they drop and the shoots that readily sprout up at the trunk base. The Hong Kong orchid tree, however, doesn’t have seed pods, making it the favorite choice among landscapers. This is because the flowers are sterile, and therefore don’t create the seed pods at all. You can plant this tree along paths and roads to create shady arches, and you won’t have to deal with sweeping away their droppings all the time.
How to keep your orchid tree thriving
konjaunt/Shutterstock
If you want pollinators, you’ll need to keep your orchid tree happy. It’s not hard to accomplish since these trees tolerate sunny or shady conditions, but the more sun, the better. They tolerate almost any soil that drains well, whether clay, loamy, sandy, or acidic. The more alkaline the soil is though, the less happy your tree will be. It will likely develop yellow leaves, so try to keep the soil neutral or acidic. The trees are tolerant of drought conditions once they’re established, so you won’t have to water them too often.
Many orchid trees are invasive in places like Florida due to the seed pods they drop. The Hong Kong orchid tree is an exception since it doesn’t produce seeds. It’s a hybrid of Bauhinia variegata and Bauhinia purpurea, both of which are considered highly invasive. If you’re in an area where orchid trees aren’t permitted, you should be able to grow the Hong Kong variety without issues since it is sterile and won’t contribute to the problem.
