Alexandre Korte, FloraRS
Family
Bignoniaceae
Botanical Name
JACARANDA puberula
Plant Common Name
Caroba Jacaranda
General Description
The branches of caroba jacaranda become laden with fantastic violet-blue flowers. The trumpet-shaped blooms are produced in airy clusters during the warm days of spring and summer, when the soil isn't too moist. Flowering occurs before the leaves have fully emerged giving the flowers center stage. This increasingly rare native of southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina is a semi-evergreen to fully deciduous tree that develops an open, rounded, sometimes irregular canopy when mature.
Ferny foliage of medium to dark green cover the branches of this tree throughout the growing season. Individual leaflets have jagged edges. Flowering is most heavy from spring into summer. Clusters of violet-blue to violet-purple trumpet- or bell-shaped flowers appear at the branch tips. These are frequented by bees and hummingbirds and followed by round, woody capsules that split open at the base and release lots of flattened, papery brown seeds. As the weather cools and dries in winter, the leaves drop to reveal an irregular, picturesque tree with grayish tan bark.
Grow caroba jacaranda in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil that is gritty or sandy. In areas where winter frosts are light, it will grow as a multi-stemmed, shrubby, tender perennial. To ensure best flowering, it needs cool, dry winter weather. For this reason, it may only rarely flower if planted in the hot coastal tropics. Flowering may also be inhibited if spring heat is not warm enough.
This jacaranda makes a glorious specimen or street tree. One potential problem is that the fallen flowers may stain pavement, patios or automobile finishes. Soil pH impacts flower color; in alkaline soils, the blossoms are pinker and in acid soils they are bluer.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 9
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USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 12
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Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
30'-40' / 9.1m - 12.2m
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Width
20'-30' / 6.1m - 9.1m
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Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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Native To
South America, Argentina, Brazil
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam, Sand
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Growth Rate
Fast
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Oval/Rounded
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer
Special Characteristics
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Bark Texture
Smooth
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Usage
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Butterflies
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Self-Sowing
No
