The magnificent Jacaranda

Gazing out of the local library window, while working in the recently devastated town of Springwood, I noticed a beautiful Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimisofolia) tree in full bloom.

The stunning purple flowers seemed to offer a sign of hope and even escapism to residents of this Blue Mountains town, west of Sydney where nearly 200 homes were destroyed by bushfire just a month ago.

When I first moved to Sydney, I spent some time living and working (and getting married!) in the suburb of Chatswood. One of the many enduring memories I have of the township is walking along the back streets during spring/summer through a purple haze of jacaranda flowers. It seems almost unnecessary to add that the Jacaranda tree -- so superbly adapted to a range of Australian climate conditions -- is one of my favourite trees.

So adapted to certain Australian climate zones is the jacaranda that I, along with many others it seems, considered it to be a native of the country. However this is not so. The tree originates from the tropical to sub-tropical regions of South America, though has been successfully introduced to many Asia countries from Australia to Nepal.

It is low maintenance (once established) and flourishes in sandy soil in warm to temperate climate zones and may even grow in cooler climates where frosts are light. Growth may be stunted in these situations though.

An interesting characteristic is that it is deciduous in spring/summer in its native countries due to the South American rainy season when the tree would shed its leaves, regrowing them when the season ended.

So what should you look for if you're trying to grow a jacaranda tree? Firstly you'll need to have a great deal of space. Some Jacaranda varieties can grow up to 15 metres in height given the right conditions.

Secondly consider the positioning well as the tree will shed its leaves in great quantities. Also make sure that the soil is fairly sandy and well draining.

We recommend that you buy the best in tube stock, contact us at Evergreen Growers to pre order plants which will be available soon.

Our team is also on hand to answer any questions about planting this or any other product available from us. Please feel free to come in to our nursery at or contact us on our website or indeed send us a query on our rapidly growing Facebook page.