Kachnar Tree (Bauhinia variegata): Where It Grows in India and How to 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. Where it grows in India, how it copes with heat, dry summers and frost, when and how to plant it in each region, care for the first three years, and how to tell it from look-alike Bauhinia trees.
Varieties
Known varieties and forms of this tree in India, how they differ and where they grow.
Botanical variety (2)
Purple-pink kachnar (Bauhinia variegata var. variegata)Flower colour: Pink to reddish purple, upper petal darker
The usual kachnar, whose flowers are most often a lively reddish purple. Kew's WCVP checklist accepts it as the typical variety of the species.
- Flower colour
- Pink to reddish purple, upper petal darker
Sources: GBIF / Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (WCVP), eFlora of India, Flowers of India
White-flowered kachnar (Bauhinia variegata var. candida)Flower colour: Pure whiteGrown in: West coast, South peninsula
Kew's WCVP checklist accepts var. candida; eFlora of India records it from Shirgaon near Chiplun (Maharashtra) and Tumkur (Karnataka). Some botanists there treat white trees as only a colour form or cultivar 'Candida'.
- Flower colour
- Pure white
- Other
- Hindi names: safed kachnar, karbudar
Sources: GBIF / Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (WCVP), eFlora of India, Flowers of India
Compare all varieties
| Variety | Flower colour | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Purple-pink kachnar (Bauhinia variegata var. variegata) | Pink to reddish purple, upper petal darker | — |
| White-flowered kachnar (Bauhinia variegata var. candida) | Pure white | Hindi names: safed kachnar, karbudar |
Sources: GBIF species search, Kew WCVP checklist: Bauhinia variegata varieties (var. variegata and var. candida Voigt ACCEPTED) – GBIF / Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (WCVP); eFlora of India: Bauhinia variegata (incl. var. candida records) – eFlora of India; Flowers of India: Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) – Flowers of India
This article was prepared with AI assistance. Please check important details against the sources shown in each section.
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