Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda Plant Care Tips

Where to buy a Jacaranda Mimosifolia plants in Australia?

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda introduction

Native to South American countries like Uruguay and Argentina, Jacaranda mimosifolia have successfully established their position as an excellent ornamental variety across the globe. Commonly known as Jacarandas, Jacaranda mimosifolia is well-known for its large clusters of bell-shaped purple flowers and adamant habit. Jacarandas are fast growers and re-sprouts quite easily from heavily damaged stumps. The wide and lush canopy of Jacaranda mimosifolia can reach heights of 15-20 meters, if the conditions are favorable. The bipinnately compound leaves are composed of smaller sessile leaflets that are light and fluttery. Jacaranda flowers appear in group of terminal panicles, which comes in different shades of violet. The extensive agriculture in habitats of Jacaranda has made the plant a vulnerable species in its native lands.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda planting

The wide and spreading habit of Jacaranda mimosifolia, makes it a perfect street or shade tree. As the highly invasive roots of Jacaranda compete with nearby plants it’s better to have your Jacaranda in an open position. The dense and highly branching canopy of the Jacaranda can be exploited as a magnificent natural archway for streets, planted along fencelines and driveways as featured row or as a single showstopper plant. Jacaranda mimosifolia are deciduous during Summer and Autumn when the profuse blooms take over the plant. The regular Jacaranda will likely fail to flower when kept indoors, whereby the dwarf variety Jacaranda ‘Bonsai Blue’ offers the perfect alternative.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda lighting and position

Jacarandas love a well lit location in your garden. They prefer a full 6 hours of sunlight per day and temperatures not falling below 5 ͦ C. A shade grown Jacaranda mimosifolia lacks bright blooms and will experience slower growth. Acclimatized to warm tropical conditions in the wild, the plant can be susceptible to cold Winters.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda Soil and Fertilisation

A well-draining soil will be the perfect companion for the tropical Jacaranda although the plant performs well even in poor, shallow soils. Clayey soils added with water-logging conditions are a strict no for growing Jacaranda mimosifolia due to the threat of root rotting fungus. Feed your Jacaranda once a year with a balanced fertiliser with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. If you wish to have more profuse blooms avoid excess amounts of nitrogen in the feed as the latter promotes foliage growth rather than flowers.

We recommend using our Plant Food available here. 

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda watering

Jacaranda mimosifolia likes to have some soil moisture at all times. During dry spells treat your Jacaranda with some extra drizzles to keep up the lush canopy. Always allow the top soil to dry out completely before the next watering session to avoid any root rotting fungal attacks. Watering frequency can be reduced during the colder months.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda propagation

You can propagate your Jacaranda easily with either seeds or soft wood cuttings. Stem cuttings are mostly preferred over seeds as the flowering will be faster to form. Select a semi-ripe cutting of 15-20 cm long with healthy buds. You can treat the cut end with hormone rooting solution to encourage root growth and then plant it in potting soil. Jacaranda cuttings can produce roots even in a clear jar of water with some rooting hormone mixed to it. The planted cutting should be placed under dappled sunlight, as direct light may cause burns. Once roots emerge (about 1 inch length) replant the propagule to larger pot or plant in the ground.

If you wish to use Jacaranda mimosifolia seeds for propagation, remove the outer winged seed coat to expose the seeds and soak them in water for 24 hours. After which, they can be sowed in a potting medium or tray of potting mix. Regularly drizzle the set up to see the seedlings emerge in 2-8 weeks.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda common pest and diseases

Aphids and scale insects are the common pests that bother Jacaranda mimosifolia. Treat them effectively with regular insecticidal soap solution or neem oil sprays. Glassy-winged sharpshooter has also been found to feast on the leaves of Jacarandas. Neem oil sprays can be quite handy during to treat the situation.

For more information on how to manage common plant pests, head to our blog here.

Improper draining and prolonged water-logging in soil causes the development of root rot in Jacarandas.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda pruning and maintenance

Jacaranda doesn’t need regular pruning as it may distort the natural form and shape of the canopy. Jacaranda mimosifolia can be given thorough pruning during early growing periods to get the plant the desired shape and to maintain a single prominent trunk. Dead and diseased branches can be trimmed away.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda popular varieties

Jacaranda mimosifolia ‘Alba’ is a white-flowered cultivar of Jacaranda. Though the blooms are less intense than the regular Jacaranda, the cultivar offers a longer flowering window.

The dwarf variety Jacaranda ‘Bonsai Blue’ is an ideal indoor variety that will offer a higher chance of flowering compared to common the Jacaranda which typically doesn’t bloom when placed inside.

Jacaranda mimosifolia – Jacaranda Design Tips

The Jacaranda is a showpiece tree, the likes of which it has few rivals. So you want to place it in a prominent spot where it can receive plenty of sunlight and bring joy to every passerby. It is therefore a popular front yard option, which can instantly transform your property with its intense purple bloom. If looking for accompanying trees with equally explosive colour blooms, the yellow and gold flowers of the native Acacia or Wattle Tree can be a popular choice and offer a complimentary colour scheme to enhance both further. The Australian native Illawarra Flame Tree is another popular accompanying tree with its intense red bloom that can mix it with the Jacaranda and creating a striking contrast that enhances both!