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The Climbing Chinese orchid tree (Bauhinia yunnanensis) belongs to the Fabaceae (the Pea family). It is a deciduous semi-vining small tree that is native to Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. This vine grows in thickets on hills, 400-2,000 m elevation, and emerges in late spring, producing long willowy branches to 4.5-6 m long. Each branch produces short tendrils designed for climbing. The leaves are twice folilate and with broadly elliptic leaf blades. The flowers are pale pink, orchid-like, each highlighted by a purple central streak, and bloom from late August to until frost.
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