Plant Profile, Culture and Propagation :
Botanical Name: Bauhinia kockiana (synonym: Bauhinia coccinea)
Common Name: Kock’s Bauhinia, Red Trailing Bauhinia, Climbing
Bauhinia
Family name: Fabaceae / Leguminosae
Plant type: A flowering woody climber, native to Peninsula Malaysia.
Light: Full sun to semi-shade. Prefers morning sun and afternoon
shade.
Moisture: Regular watering moderately.
Soil: Well-drained fertile soil.
Propagation: From germination of seeds, though Kock’s Bauhinia very
rarely produce seed pods in cultivation. Usually, it is propagated
by air layering or marcotting of its woody stems. Propagation by
normal woody cuttings is not feasible as it is difficult to root.
Bauhinia kockiana, propagated from stem cutting in our garden,
September 2008Update: 20080910 -
We were delightfully surprised that it is possible to propagate from
stem cuttings. (Aargh, we were fooled by salespersons of our local
garden centers that it was not!). Just take a 5-inch stem cutting,
remove the lower leaves and push into moist soil, site it at a sunny
spot and with regular watering, it should sprout new growth. How
long will it take? Unfortunately, we really don’t know as we did not
monitor the emergence of new growth. Needs patience though. We can
only recall that 3 stem cuttings were taken early March this year
when our B. kockiana had sun-stroke, yet only one successfully
propagated as seen in this image. :D
Spectacular blooms of Bauhinia kockiana Features: Bauhinia kockiana,
a tropical perennial semi-deciduous vine, is quite a vigorous
climber that can reach a height of about 10-15 feet in gardens, but
capable of scaling much higher to probably 40 feet or more in the
wild jungle or forest as it reaches the crown of tall trees.
Being vining, it requires support for its woody stems and sprawling
branches. Its luxuriant foliage displays ovate to elliptical leaves
that are medium green in color, glossy and deeply veined with three
distinct nerves running from the base to the apex of the leaves.
Cluster of flowering buds - Bauhinia kockianaIt bears spectacular
clusters of stunning inflorescences, ranging in colors from bright
red-orange to orange, and golden-yellow to pale yellow as they age
and wither away.
Not only are its blooms long lasting, but it flowers practically
throughout the year.
Usage: Spectacular blooms of Bauhinia kockiana, cascading over a
garden wallBauhinia kockiana is gaining popularity with home
gardeners and landscape designers. It can be grown in containers or
straight onto the ground.
Excellent specimen for trellises, arbors and pergolas, even as a
stand-alone at the entrance to a patio.
Wonderful espalier for garden walls or chain-link fences. It is used
to scale lamp post or trees in parks too for added beauty.
Care: Being a tropical vine, it needs lots of water, sunshine and
humidity. Inflorescence of Bauhinia kockianaRemove burnt and dried
leaves or flowers to keep it tidy. Prune after flowering to
encourage more branching, hence more flowers. Reduce water gradually
once the plant has achieved a luxuriant foliage and feed it with an
appropriate fertilizer to induce flowering. If it is a potted plant
and located where it receives the direct sun, be extremely careful
that it is not water-stressed, otherwise it’ll be scorched. Insect
pests and plant diseases are hardly a problem. All in all, Bauhinia
kockiana is a relatively easy plant to care.
Nevertheless, be aware that a sapling needs some years (?) to
establish before it can be a flowering tree. Haha…I really don’t
know how long as we gave up hope on our first potted plant that grew
luxuriantly to more than 5 feet in less than 3 years. But, in spite
of all the prunning, fertilizing and relocating to give it the
perfect garden spot, plus going along with all the advices received
from the well-informed staff of garden nurseries, it still refused
to flower! Probably, it was barren? |
