Worth knowing:
Most significant on a Jacaranda are its fern-like pinnate leaves and the sky-blue blossoms. Even before the leaves shoot, the lavender blue and up to 5 cm big bell-flowers, seating at up to 20 cm tall panicles, spring up, and exhale a honey-like, softly scent. Albeit the Jacaranda is not frost-resistant, it can be cultivated as pot or tub plant.
Natural Location:
The subtropical Jacaranda has its origins in South America, specifically in the highlands of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Today it is found and cultivated as ornamental tree in all annual-warm places around the world. In the capital of the Republic of South Africa, Pretoria - also known as Jacaranda-City -, there are about 60.000 Jacaranda trees decorating the streets and avenues.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. Spread the seeds on moist potting compost, put just a little compost earth on top and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet. Usually it takes only one or two weeks until germination.
Place:
The Jacaranda likes a bright and sunny place. If it is kept more shaded, it most likely casts the leaves that will sprout again next spring. The plant can be kept indoors all year - however, it is best to give it a sunny place outdoors during summer.
Care:
The Jacaranda is best to be cultivated in a mix of two thirds of standard soil and one third of sand. The earth should be kept consistently moist without waterlogging. Therefore, it is important to use pots with a good drainage and to check the saucer for drain water. Between May and October, the plant needs fertilizer for tub plants every two weeks. There is nothing to worry if it casts off some of the lower leaves since that is where it grows the stem. Sometimes, the indoor plants tend to grow too fast and leggy, but it is always possible to prune (even heavily) to get a more bushy growth.
During the winter:
Since the Jacaranda cannot resist frost, it has to be brought indoors during the winter and is best to be kept at temperatures between 10° and 20° Celsius and with regular fresh air supply. It should be watered from time to time and sprayed more often, to prevent the leaves from shrinking and getting brown.
Picture credits:
- © © Bouba - CC-BY-SA-2.5 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Kahuroa - Public domain - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
- © Crusier - CC-BY-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- © Summary - cc-by-sa-2.5 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
- © Bouba - CC-BY-SA-2.5 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
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