Bauhinia.

Omar

That's glorious. It does look like a Bauhinia flower. Bauhinia leaves are strongly double lobed, which I'm not sure I see in your picture. If it is Bauhinia, it likes acid soil, which you probably don't have. Also, it's a small tree. They call it "orchid tree". Yours looks a lot like Purple Orchid, which is really a mostly tropical variety so its hardiness might be suspect in San Antonio.

Wow! I did not think Bauhinia grew in Texas. Thank you for your input. We lived in Hong Kong, so that makes it extra special. It is in my daughter's mother-in-law's back yard.

Deb, We have two Purple Orchid trees and they do well for us. During a really cold Winter, they will die back (despite our best efforts to wrap them) but they have always come back for us. They are not flowering right now but they are quite tall. I wish they were flowering... we love them! Thanks for the pic!

On another note, this past summer, I started a White Orchid tree from seed. It is now about three feet tall. Are you in San Antonio? Would you like a White Orchid tree?

Irene, in what zone are you in? I saw purple bauhinias for sell at Barton Springs Nursery but I didn't buy it because I was afraid it wouldn't be winter hardy in Kyle (8b zone).

dani, I got a white bauhinia from MsRed Byrd this year and it has grown at least 3' in the ground in 6 months and all I have is caliche soil with a little organic ammenment. Maybe that cultivar likes alkaline soil?

Omar

I think bauhinias grow well under filtered sun or light shade, so maybe you could use that argument with your DH. Thank you for the info about the purple ones. I may head today to BS Nursery.

Omar

These are our two Purple Bauhinias. One is behind our gardenia bush in full sun. The other gets a lot of shade from the neighbor's oak tree. The one in full sun flowers more often than the other. I've tried to collect seeds but the flowers are up too high. If I ever get seeds I'll be sure to share with whomever.

Wow! I did not think Bauhinia grew in Texas.

There's also Anacacho orchid tree which is actually a Bauhinia (B. lunarioides/congesta) native to small regions of Texas. Love those leaves. This native species favors neutral/alkaline soils.

Thanks, Bostedo. I had to Google the Anacacho tree. I didn't know about that one. It's on my wish list now. Yes, we love the leaves on it, too. Last Thanksgiving, I cut up some branches from the tree and spray painted them all gold for inside decorations.