Bauhinia variegata is a species of the Fabaceae family. It is native to an area from China through Southeast Asia to the Indian subcontinent. Common names include Orchid Tree and Mountain Ebony.
The Vietnamese name is Ban Tây Bac, standing for its geographical origins, from the west (India) to the north (China).
Bauhinia variegata
It is a small to medium-sized tree growing to 10–12 meters tall, losing a part of the leaves in the cold areas during the dry season. The leaves are 10–20 centimeters, with a specific rounded shape, and bilobed at the base and apex. The flowers are 8–12 centimeters diameter, with five petals, blooming during the dry season. The open petals have a papery texture with wavy edges, and a single flower can feature multiple colors, white, pink and even purple. The fruit is a seedpod 15–30 centimeters long, containing several seeds. The seedpod dries completely on the tree, and when mature begins to twist into a helix or corkscrew shape, ultimately exploding open—with a very audible “clack”—to deliver its seeds into the environs.