Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their weekly gardening column.
As you make your way around the Goulburn Valley, it is hard not to notice the magnificent display being put on by the jacaranda trees throughout the area.
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These magnificent semi-deciduous, sub-tropical trees are often mistakenly thought of as Australian natives.
They are actually from the dry high plains of Brazil and Argentina and are classed as semi-deciduous trees because they never really go dormant.
They only start dropping their leaves in early to mid-spring and are then in full flower by late spring as the leaves reappear.
Splash of colour: Purple jacaranda trees.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
The sheer volume of flowers can make them appear as just a canopy of purple, completely hiding the foliage.
They grow to 10m to 15m high by 8m to 10m wide, forming an open light shady crown. In frosty winter areas, they often form multi-trunked trees with slightly contorted-looking trunks, but in warmer areas, they grow a single straight-trunk tree.
The flower display of the jacaranda is their main feature, forming a lovely dense crown of purple tubular flowers that completely cover the tree while also forming a carpet of purple on the ground under the canopy of the tree as the individual flowers drop only to be replaced by even more flowers.
In our region, this display usually happens from early November and goes right through to Christmas, with a spattering of flowers appearing over the rest of summer.
The flowers have a fresh, light fragrance, but once the mass of old flowers on the ground starts to decompose, they can become a bit pungent; by occasionally removing the fallen blossom, you can overcome this.
They are a great source of pollen for bees, and you often can easily hear their gentle buzz as they feast among the canopy of the tree.
Jacarandas have fine bi-pinnate, fern-like foliage and will form flat, round seed pods after flowering.
They are reasonably fast-growing with a strong root system. In our region, they will need protection from frost for the first few years.
This can be done by covering them with frost cloth in winter, but I recommend you spray them with Envy, a biodegradable polymer that offers great frost protection.
Jacarandas make an ideal feature tree, and because of their light shade, a canopy can have lawns grown right up to their trunk.
They can also be underplanted with a vast range of shrubs that enjoy dappled shade, so having them planted in a garden bed is not a problem.
Pruning should be kept to only what is necessary, as this only encourages multiple strong vertical growths along the branch that has been pruned.
Legend has it that if a jacaranda flower falls on your head, it will bring you good fortune, although this is only if the tree is not attached to it.
Jacarandas are said to represent rebirth, wisdom, wealth and good luck, so what better reason do you need to plant one in your garden?
