Purple Flower Tree

Purple flower tree: Jacaranda mimosifolia is the most popular and beautiful of all trees with purple flowers.

The jacaranda tree’s specialty is an overabundance of purple flowers that elicits gasp of admiration from your visiting friends and neighbors.

Mid- to late spring is when you can expect the fabulous purple flower display to begin.

The purple flowers cover the bare-limb tree branches in long, loose clusters of 2 inch tubular blossoms.

Only when the flowering is over, do the large but finely cut fernlike leaves emerge to provide you with light shade summer and fall.

Jacarnda Mimosifolia in Bloom

Companion Plantings

For Under The Purple Jacaranda Tree

Jacaranda’s open-leaf canopy is great for underplantings that need only partial shade.

Good partial-shade perennials that are well suited to grow in filtered sunlight are: cranesbill, daylily, lily of the Nile, Santa Barbara daisy, and wallflower.

Among bulbs and bulblike plants you can use clivia and fortnight lily.

When To Plant

Container-grown jacaranda plants are available year-round. But winter (in the mildest zones) to early spring is the best time for planting.

The trees then can get established before the weather warms.

Where To Plant

Warm climate zones such as Southern California are ideal for growing jacaranda purple trees. Since I live in Los Angeles, I get to enjoy the purple flower display all over the city in early spring. It’s spectacular for sure.

Jacaranda needs a full sun postion and actually thrives in heat. A good reason for choosing the warmest garden location. Even where heat is reflected from buildings.

Their roots prefer well-drained soil, so make sure it drains well, by doing a drainage test.

How To Plant

Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the tree’s root ball and slightly shallower.

Then dig deeper around the inside edge of the ho;le to create a plateau in the center.

Place the the root ball in the soil, making sure the juncture of the trunk and the roots is slightly above soil grade.

Then fill in the hole with good garden soil and some organic compost mixed in, and water well.

Staking the tree to prevent excessive movement in the wind is important.

TLC

There are no tricks to grow the jacaranda tree with purple flowers.

Trees do best with infrequent deep watering. But prolonged drought can stunt growth, while overwatering leads to gangly growth.

However, new trees should get regular watering for a year or two while they become established.

Prune only as needed to guide structure or to corral wayward limbs. Best planting zones are 13-24.