Overview of Jacaranda:
The jacaranda tree is a tropical beauty with its clusters of fragrant, purple, trumpet-shaped blooms. It makes an excellent shade or street tree.
Latin Name:
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Common Names:
Jacaranda, Brazilian rose wood, blue jacaranda, blue trumpet tree
Preferred USDA Hardiness Zones:
Zones 9-11
Size & Shape of Jacaranda:
Jacaranda grows to a height of anywhere from 5-50' tall and 15-60' wide.
Exposure:
For the best blooming, plant jacaranda in full sun. Small trees will be able to live in light shade if needed.
Foliage/ Flowers/Fruit of Jacaranda:
The leaves are pinnately compound, fine textured, and less than 2" each. Jacaranda can be either semi-evergreen or deciduous. The leaves may cause a lot of litter when they drop.
Jacaranda is renowned for its clusters of purple, fragrant, trumpet shaped blossoms. These may also cause a lot of litter when they drop. Most of the blooming is in late spring/summer, but in the warmer areas it can flower at any time.
There are varieties available with white blossoms.
The fruit is a dry, brown, round pod that is 1-3" wide.
Additional Jacaranda Facts:
In Hawaii and other tropical locations, Jacaranda can be invasive and crowd out the native plants.
Design Tips For Jacaranda:
Jacaranda is an excellent specimen tree due to the huge trumpet shaped purple blossoms.
Keep in mind that there can be a lot of leaf and blossom litter; for example, it would clog a pool filter.
The branches arch, making this a good choice to produce a canopy.
Jacaranda works well as a street tree.
The jacaranda is drought tolerant.
Growing Tips For Jacaranda:
Jacaranda needs well drained soil. It is very drought tolerant.
Be aware that there may be large surface roots.
You can propagate the jacaranda using softwood cuttings, grafting and seeds (though trees from seeds may take a long time to bloom).
- Jacaranda Seeds - Compare Prices
Maintenance/Pruning:
Jacaranda should be pruned to form one central leader for strength and stability.
Otherwise, try to avoid pruning your jacaranda. These trees tend to form many vertical suckers when pruned that distort the shape of the jacaranda. Try to only remove broken or diseased branches.
Pests & Diseases of Jacaranda:
Jacaranda is very resistant to pests and diseases. There are no pests of note that attack the jacaranda.
If the soil does not drain well enough, mushroom root rot may develop. If the jacaranda is not watered deep enough, it may not produce enough chlorophyll and become chlorotic.
