Jacaranda Tree
The Jacaranda mimosifoila
The Jacaranda mimosifoila or more commonly known as just Jacaranda, with its large vibrant lavender colored flowers, is one of the more popular trees in Florida.. These large trees may start out looking somewhat odd when young but by the time they grow to close to 20 feet, their branches form a domed crown-like shape. They are one of the most distinctively beautiful trees as their new foliage and enormous bright purple flowers usher in springtime here in Florida.
The Jacaranda is a large tree best suited as a focal point for a medium sized yard or anywhere on a larger property. It can grow up to 40 feet tall rather quickly. It prefers plenty of room and placement in partial to full sun. Jacarandas can take a long time to flower when grown from seed and can take 5 to 7 years before flowering when planted from grafted cuttings like the ones bought at a nursery.
Jacarandas should be planted an optimum of 20 feet from your home to give ample room for the tree’s wide expansion and to avoid possible damage from falling branches. They should be placed at minimum of 15 feet from driveways, walkways and other concrete slabs so the roots won’t cause problems in the future.
Caring for the Jacaranda is fairly straightforward.
- You should stake your young tree for its first year as they can be blown over in winds quite like the kind we see in Florida with our regularly passing rain storms.
- Since the bark of the Jacaranda is thin, it can be easily damaged by yard equipment such as lawnmowers or weed-whackers. You should leave a fairly large space around the base of the tree filled in with mulch or a bed of small plants to help avoid possible damage.
- Adding peat moss or top soil to the hole when you plant your tree, as well as adding composted cow manure, will help enrich the soil around the rootball.
- Jacarandas should be fertilized approximately 3 times per year … once in the spring, once in the summer and again in the fall
- Once established, Jacarandas are fairly drought-tolerant. They should, however, be watered regularly during their first year then continued on a schedule that allots time for the plant to dry out between waterings.
- Trimming isn’t truly necessary but you will get a denser growth if you trim the ends of the branches after the flowering cycle is over
- Pruning will need to be done to make room when low-growing branches impede walkways or driveways
Whatever the tree related questions, Mid FloridaTree Service with its knowledgeable staff and experienced Certified Arborists, is here to help get you information you look for and to come up with a plan of action specific to your property.

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