You can order one from Mountain States Wholesale through Whitfill or Berridge Nurseries. I have one that's growing in full sun near my front door -- I've gotten a lot of compliments when it was bloom. Just don't expect big flowers like you would see with a Hong Kong orchid or desert willow.

I was thinking the bauhinia macranthera was the same as bauhinia anacacho but I guess they are a little different. It sounds like a nice tree. I planted the anacacho this past winter but it is still quite small.

Another very nice bauhinia is bauhinia divaricata. It's a nice size and blooms constantly. It's also called butterfly orchid tree which is an apt name since the butterflies LOVE this tree. It is hard to find however.

Very interested in the macranthera, although I don't have much room for it.

Looks like Treeland nursery has it. Take a look at their catalog, they have a few different bauhinias there.

I wonder how cold tolerant it is though compared to the Hong Kong orchid tree

http://www.treelandnurseries.com/plant-catalog-1/bauhinia-macranthera-chihuahua-orchid-tree

It's much more cold tolerant. Down to 16 degrees F.

I've been looking for bauhinia divaricata for a long time. Can't find anyone that has one in stock for long, even out of state.

I was looking for a bauhinia divaricata too and the only place I could find it was a mailorder nursery in Florida I am not allowed to mention. However, I would warn against buying from them.

I did buy one (very $$$) and thought it was going to die. It has survived (currently in a pot) but it will be a long time before it is tree size.

I don't know why these trees are so hard to find; they are great for the Phx area.

maybe you guys should try talking to local nurseries. They might be able to help locate some and special order them for you.

EDIT:

You guys got me searching for these trees. I didn't realize that there's quite a few varieties of these and also much more cold tolerant than the Hong Kong orchid tree that my parent's had.

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Bauhinia galpinii (red flowers) - this one looks amazing. I want to plant one of these in my yard!

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Bauhinia variegata var. candida (white flowers)

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Bauhinia corymbosa - this one's a vine type. Very neat.

Bauhinia natalensis - this one's a small shrub/small tree. It's got white flowers and much smaller leaves.

This post was edited by raimeiken on Thu, Aug 8, 13 at 20:01

Nice pics! Now you have me wanting a Bauhinia galpinii!