Kachnar Tree (Bauhinia variegata): How to Grow It in Jaipur and Use Its Buds
Bauhinia variegata
Kachnar is the orchid tree that flowers on bare branches in late winter and gives the buds for kachnar ki kali ki sabzi. How it copes with Jaipur's heat and frost, when and how to plant it, care for the first three years, and how to tell it from look-alike Bauhinia trees.
Toxicity
Cautions
- Young trees need summer water. In Jaipur this is the main reason kachnar saplings fail.
- Bare in spring. Do not rely on it where you need shade in March and April.
- Look-alikes. The name kachnar is used for more than one Bauhinia. Check the flowering season and the five stamens before harvesting buds.
- Psyllids can strip leaves and flowers in some years.
- Invasive abroad. In south Florida and some other warm regions it has escaped into wild land. In India it is native, so this is not a concern here.
- Other parts: we found no reliable safety data on the bark, pods or seeds as food. Eat only cooked buds and flowers.
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