A beautiful white bauhinia at HortPark

On one side of the Vistor’s Carpark at HortPark, there are several bauhinias with spectacular white flowers that are trained up the arbours there. The plants are rather dwarf-growing, which are quite unlike the purple flowered relative, Bauhinia blakeana, that grows into a tree.

These shrubby, white-flowered bauhinias are most likely to be Bauhinia acuminata. It is native to this part of the world and there is not much to wonder why it grows so well under our local climate. It is a rewarding to grow here locally and people here should buy one to plant in their gardens.

From the picture above, it is obvious that the Bauhinia acuminata is quite a generous bloomer. Each blossom is about 8 cm in diameter, with petals that are blunted at their tips. When a light breeze blows, the flowers dance along with it and can be likened to a swarm of white moths fluttering through the area. They stand out obviously against the green foliage and imparts a different feeling compared to the more common orange-flowered Bauhinia kockiana that is often used to climb up and cover similar structures.

Like most other woody flowering shrubs, Bauhinia acuminata needs to be grown in full sun for profuse flowering. Being forgiving shrubs, they can still do well when grown in partial shade – in HortPark, these plants are growing under the encroaching canopy of a taller tree above.

It must be grown in well-drained soils that can retain some moisture at all times. They should never be allowed to dry out and should also be feed regularly. As plants grow, the branches can get a little heavy and may droop and they may benefit from an occasional pruning to keep them in good shape and the right size. Pruning will also help to keep the plant vigorous as well and prevent it from getting straggly.