Blooming in a neighborhood near you!

Was it a vision of heaven you saw or a jacaranda tree in full bloom?  The spectacle of a large jacaranda tree flush with lavender-blue blooms and newly emerged feathery leaves can make your eyes focus like a laser beam on this South American native.  A nice tree hiding in plain sight the rest of the year, you cannot help but love this large flowering woody ornamental. Blooming intensely for more than thirty-days a year, the Jacaranda is a top ornamental flowering tree.    Even the fallen flowers are attractive!

Jacarandas are blooming right now in Charlotte County and surrounding areas.  The massive clusters of flowers are arranged in pyramid-shaped panicles up to a foot long and made up of hundreds of blossoms.  These flowers will be followed by large, woody seed capsules up to three inches long.   Complementing the flowers are twenty-inch long delicate, feathery leaves.  Jacaranda is what is called “briefly deciduous” referring to the short period of time (generally late winter to early spring) when the leaves have dropped, but before it flowers and develops new leaves.

Try to secure trees for planting that have been grafted or rooted from cuttings.  These will tend to bloom quicker than those from seed which may take years to produce flowers – perhaps up to twenty years!  Growing up to forty-five feet tall with a similar width, this dome-shaped tree is best for landscapes that can provide the room needed.  Plant young trees in full-sun areas with well-drained soils well away from hardscapes as large surface roots could be a problem in the future.  Keep clear of poorly drained planting sites as they may encourage root rots to develop.  While fairly drought-tolerant once established, the Jacaranda is not salt tolerant, so stay away from unprotected coastal areas.     The dappled shade provided by the Jacaranda is ideal for patios, but can be messy (the leaves and flowers) near pools.  Steer clear of multi-trunked specimens as they are brittle and weak-wooded and can split at extreme crotch angles when exposed to strong winds.  However, a structurally well-trained and properly pruned Jacaranda can have stronger wood and be better prepared for windstorms. 

The Jacaranda is another Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ recommended tree worth investigating!  For more information on other flowering tree suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Watson, D. G. (2014) Jacaranda mimosifolia: Jacaranda.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Brown, S. H. (2012) Jacaranda mimosifolia.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Lee County.

Scheper, J. (2006) Jacaranda acutifolia.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL.