Hong Kong Orchid Trees, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida

Large, orchid-like magenta flowers arrive from fall through winter on a Hong Kong orchid tree, a spreading, semi-evergreen tree that does well in Southwest Florida when many yards go quiet. The blooms are lightly fragrant, and the tree is a sterile hybrid that rarely sets seed pods, unlike other orchid trees. Give it full sun and room to spread.

Light:: Full sun
Water:: Moderate; regular water while young, fairly drought tolerant once established
Salt:: Low to moderate; keep out of constant salt spray

Text Me a Planted Price Call (239) 799-5594

Hong Kong Orchid Tree sizes we deliver and plant

Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.

Plant	Sizes
Hong Kong Orchid Tree	25 Gallon

Hong Kong Orchid Tree in SW Florida, at a glance

Mature size here: 20 to 30 ft tall and 20 to 30 ft wide, with a spreading, vase-shaped crown
Light: Full sun
Water: Moderate; regular water while young, fairly drought tolerant once established
Salt tolerance: Low to moderate; keep out of constant salt spray
Cold tolerance: Leaves and flowers burn in frost and branch tips can die back in the mid-20s; coastal Lee and Collier is usually fine, but protect young trees inland on frost nights
Growth rate: Moderate to fast
Florida native: No
Botanical name: Bauhinia x blakeana

Where Hong Kong Orchid Tree works in a SW Florida yard

Give a Hong Kong orchid tree a spot where its broad crown can spread, such as the middle of a front lawn or a back corner with open sky. It is a specimen, so let it stand alone, with ground covers or low shrubs beneath instead of tight plantings.

Good companions are plumbago, firebush and muhly grass. Keep it 15 to 20 ft from the house, since the branches reach wide.

Flowering specimen tree
Fall and winter color
Shade over lawns
Front yard focal tree

How our crew plants it

This 25 gallon tree needs a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball and no deeper, with the root flare at or just above grade. We backfill with native soil, water in, mulch two to three inches deep off the trunk, and stake it for the first year.

Lee and Collier allow extra watering on new plantings.

Care after planting

Prune after the bloom ends in spring to build well-spaced branches, since poorly spaced limbs can split in a storm.
Feed lightly in March and October with a slow-release fertilizer that includes micronutrients, and skip June 1 to September 30 in Lee County, Naples and Marco Island.
Expect a partial leaf drop in late winter or spring as new growth comes in, which is normal.
Water young trees regularly for the first year or two; established trees handle our dry season with less.

What to watch for

The wood is relatively soft and the crown spreads wide, so a poorly pruned tree can lose limbs in a storm.

Hong Kong Orchid Tree questions we hear

When does a Hong Kong orchid tree bloom in Florida?+

It blooms from fall through winter, usually from around late October into March or April, with the peak in the cooler months. The large orchid-like flowers are magenta-purple and lightly fragrant. Bloom is heaviest on mature trees in full sun, and young trees may flower more lightly at first.

Does a Hong Kong orchid tree make seed pods like other orchid trees?+

Rarely, if ever. It is a sterile hybrid, so it does not produce the messy seed pods and volunteer seedlings that other orchid trees do. That is a big reason to choose it for a managed yard. It is propagated only from cuttings or grafts, never from seed.

How big does a Hong Kong orchid tree get, and how far from the house?+

Expect about 20 to 30 ft tall and just as wide, with a spreading crown. Plant it 15 to 20 ft from the house and give it open sky. Growth is moderate to fast, and young trees benefit from early pruning to build a strong framework.

Updated October 2026