This vigorous scrambling shrub has multiple greyish trunks and sprawling horizontal branches that form a mounded or climbing habit. It has mid green bilobed leaves and the bright red flowers appear in a raceme from late summer to autumn.

Hardiness zones 9 to 12

Bauhinia galpini is naturally found from north-eastern South Africa to eastern Transvaal growing in dense thickets and amongst trees. 

It grows in well drained poor to moderately fertile sandy to clay loam with a pH range from 5.5 to 7.5 and prefers an open sunny to semi shaded position and is drought tolerant but frost tender.

The Butterfly Bush is a hardy shrub that is grown for its brick red flowers and its scrambling habit. It is planted in parks and gardens along shrub borders for screening or trimmed to form an informal hedge. It can also be trained over a pergola for summer shade or used as a spill-over above retaining walls. It is long lived and is an excellent espalier plant for sunny wall, establishing in 2 to 4 years and is suitable for coastal regions tolerating neglect. ID 107

Bauhinia (bow-HIN-ee-a) galpinii (gal-PIN-ee-eye)

“Bauhinia” commemorates the sixteenth century Swiss botanists, twin brothers John & Casper Bauhin; “galpinii” commemorates South African botanical author E.E. Galpin.

Fabaceae (fab-AY-see-ee)