Plant ID: Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)

Genus: Jacaranda Species: mimosifolia Family: BIGNONIACEAE Common name: Jacaranda Plant type: Deciduous Origin: Brazil Habit/Form: A popular, graceful, beautifully hyacinth-blue coloured flower early blooming tree. This tree does very well in the Sydney climate: holding its leaves through winter, dropping leaves in mid-spring, producing new foliage in early summer. This kind of growth habit can also be described as semi-deciduous although it is deciduous in its natural environment. The size of the species can actually range from 2m shrubs to 30m trees. Usually single trunked, medium tree 12-15m x 12-15m, with a broad dome of curving branches and twiggy canopy. It is not uncommon to find established large size specimens. The trunk has rough, small fissured, mild neat/clean to fairly deep furrow, pale-grey/light brown-tan grey bark. Jacaranda notoriously hates being pruned. Prunes and wounding usually causes massive epicormic shoots to grow upright, developing unsightly suckers. This is a vigorous tree that can handle neglect once established, but do not mistake it as having the versatility of a London Plane tree or Brush Box; prefers well drained moist soils, but hardy to most moderately draining soils. Jacarandas tend to be frost tender when young and also like a little wind protection. Can be long lived. Leaves: 300-400mm long branchlet of opposite bipinnate arranged small leaflets. Each leaflet is lanceolate/elliptic 10-15mm x 3-4mm, bright green, turning yellow in late winter/early spring before falling in mid-spring. New leaves develop in early summer. Flowers: 40-50mm long campanulate hyacinth-blue (purple-blue) flower, with 5 lobes at the mouth, in large conspicuous 200mm long panicles, faintly perfumed, flowering mid-spring to early summer. Fruit: A brown disc-shaped, oblong-oval, follicle/flattened capsule, 50-60mm wide, containing numerous slender seeds.