Bahunia Purpuria in full bloom Nov 2011

Fabulous. It's one of my favourite trees!

Mochiseki:

It looks great! Are you sure it's not Bauhinia x blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid tree)? Does it set seed pods? ...if so, then it's B. purpurea.

No its not B blakeana, that grows separately and has bigger flowers and is in bloom now. This one has lots of dark brown pods hanging on it, they will mature and litter in April/ May

Yes, the flowers and leaves on B. x bleakeana are larger than B. purpurea. The Hong Kong Orchid trees started blooming here in early November and now their in full bloom. B. purpurea trees are just starting to bloom, they typically bloom heaviest in late winter (February) into early spring...yes, then the ugly, massive amount of seed pods and the tree go briefly semi-deciduous. B. purpurea and B. x blakeana are very widely grown as street trees here.