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Jacarandas are a deciduous tree loved for their spectacular show of purple flowers in November to January. For this reason, they make a stunning feature in the garden where they will provide a long lasting display of colour in the warmer months. Jacarandas are planted as street trees by some councils, where they bring avenues and roads alight with a sea of purple. There’s even a Jacaranda festival in Grafton in NSW, where an entire festival is planned to coincide with the blossoming of the towns’ Jacarandas. Jacarandas have beautiful feather-like leaves that arch out from the plants stems. The leaves turn yellow in autumn, and fall from the tree. Flowers are borne just before the leaves start to reshoot in spring, and will leave a carpet of purple on the ground below. Keep this in mind if you have a pool and don’t want to be cleaning up after the flower drop. We think it’s really decorative though! Jacaranda trees have a charming shape when left to grow naturally. As they are a larger tree, and can spread up to 10-15m tall and wide, it is important to plant them where they have room to grow into their true form and size. If pruned (like they are for when planted as street trees), they will send out several sucker-like stems that shoot out from below the cut which can detract from the natural shape of the tree. They really do have a lovely canopy which is just beautiful to gaze up and admire. The canopy of the tree produces a of cast filtered shade. Jacarandas produce distinctive circular seed pods when flowering that turn dark brown. Trees can be easily grown from seed however trees may take longer to flower and the flower colour may not be as vibrant. You can purchase them as grafted specimens which will be more reliable in flower production and colour vibrancy. Jacarandas are at their best in warm temperate and tropical climates, however they do grow successfully in urban areas around Melbourne where there are only light frosts. They are fairly drought tolerant, however trees will benefit from additional water in hot summer weather. Plant Jacarandas in fertile, free draining soil, and provide some support initially with tree stakes. Jacarandas are suited to a range of garden styles including cottage, tropical and formal and would make a beautiful centre piece for you to admire. Jacarandas have always been a popular choice at Plantmark. Come in and add one to your next garden project today. Audio credit: Happy Strummin by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://audionautix.com/