Jacaranda Spring Blossoms
A Vivid Display of Colour for Flower Gardens
Many believe the jacaranda to be native to Australia, but its roots can actually be traced back to Brazil, and it can be found in many parts of the world including South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The jacaranda family consists of more than fifty species, with the most common one being the blue jacaranda, or Jacaranda mimosifolia.
Suitable Climates and Conditions
A highly valued ornamental plant, the jacaranda’s flowers dominate the landscape when in full bloom. Its flowers are produced in clusters of delicate trumpet-shaped blossoms, and when they fall to the ground, the earth appears to be covered in a soft violet carpet.
The jacaranda is a fast growing tree that thrives in fertile, well-drained soils. It grows well in a warm coastal climate that is frost-free. Growing up to 30m high and 10m wide, it is a shallow-rooted tree that is excellent for large to smaller sized gardens.
The jacaranda is a deciduous tree forming a rounded crown, and it responds well to pruning. However, botanists should be careful of the tall vertical shoots that may grow from these cuts, which will detract from the jacaranda’s natural ornate shape. The jacaranda has soft graceful fern-like foliage, providing shade when temperatures begin to rise. Its leaves often turn rich yellow before falling in winter.
Jacarandas around the World
Pretoria, South Africa is popularly known as the Jacaranda City, as there is a large number of jacaranda trees planted around parks, gardens and roadsides. The flowering of the jacaranda coincides with the year-end exams at the University of Pretoria, leading to the plant being affectionately dubbed “the exam tree”. Legend has it that if a flower falls upon a student’s head, he or she will pass all their exams.
Conversely, the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia has a different superstition – that if a jacaranda bloom falls on one’s head, they would fail their exams. The only way to reverse the curse would be to catch another bloom before it falls onto the ground. The students at Queensland have a running joke that when one goes mad from exam stress, all they can see is a frenzied blur of purple.
Another part of Australia where jacarandas are widely available is Grafton, New South Wales. When the plant is in full bloom in October, the city declares a public holiday to organise a Jacaranda festival. At this event, there are street parades, theatres, botanical stalls and even a formal ball where a Jacaranda Queen and Jacaranda Princess are crowned.
The United States also has an impressive display of jacarandas, notably in Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California. Introduced by horticulturist Kate Sessions, the jacaranda trees in California are known to bloom twice a year, although the spring bloom is generally more striking than the fall bloom.
Spring Garden Favourite
Although the jacaranda is only in full bloom approximately six weeks in a year, this gorgeous plant has gained a reputation for being a perfect centrepiece for spring gardens, and is favoured by many botanists across the world.
Jacaranda mimosifolia
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles