Jacaranda mimosifolia

Last updated

Jacaranda mimosifolia
Jacaranda mimosifolia 5334.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Bignoniaceae
Genus: Jacaranda
Species:
J. mimosifolia
Binomial name
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Synonyms [3]
  • Jacaranda cheloniaGriseb.
  • Jacaranda ovalifoliaR.Br.
  • Jacaranda acutifoliaauct. non Humb. & Bonpl.

Jacaranda mimosifolia is a sub-tropical tree native to south-central South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its attractive and long-lasting violet-colored flowers. It is also known as the jacaranda, blue jacaranda, black poui, Nupur or fern tree. Older sources call it J. acutifolia, but it is nowadays more usually classified as J. mimosifolia. In scientific usage, the name "jacaranda" refers to the genus Jacaranda , which has many other members, but in horticultural and everyday usage, it nearly always means the blue jacaranda.

Contents

In its native range in the wild, J. mimosifolia is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. [1]

Description

The tree grows to a height of up to 20 m (66 ft). [4] Its bark is thin and grey-brown, smooth when the tree is young but eventually becoming finely scaly. The twigs are slender and slightly zigzag; they are a light reddish-brown. The flowers are up to 5 cm (2 in) long, and are grouped in 30 cm (12 in) panicles. They appear in spring and early summer, and last for up to two months. They are followed by woody seed pods, about 5 cm (2 in) in diameter, which contain numerous flat, winged seeds. The blue jacaranda is cultivated for the sake of its large compound leaves, even in areas where it rarely blooms. The leaves are up to 45 cm (18 in) long and bi-pinnately compound, with leaflets little more than 1 cm (0.4 in) long. There is a white form available from nurseries.

The unusually shaped, tough pods, which are 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) across, are often gathered, cleaned and used to decorate Christmas trees and dried arrangements.

Wood

Wood Jacaranda mimosifolia00.jpg
Wood

The wood is pale grey to whitish, straight-grained, relatively soft and knot-free. It dries without difficulty and is often used in its green or wet state for turnery and bowl carving.

Habitat and range

Jacaranda mimosifolia is native to southern Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina (Salta, Jujuy, Catamarca and Misiones provinces) and southern Bolivia. It is found in the Dry Chaco and flooded savannas, and in the Southern Andean Yungas of the eastern Andean piedmont and inter-Andean valleys, up to 2600 meters elevation. In its native range the tree is threatened by uncontrolled logging and clearing of land for agriculture, and is assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. [1]

The jacaranda is regarded as an invasive species in parts of South Africa and Queensland, Australia, where it can out-compete native species. [5]

Taxonomy

The taxonomic status of the blue jacaranda is unsettled. ITIS regards the older name, J. acutifolia, as a synonym for J. mimosifolia. However, some modern taxonomists maintain the distinction between these two species, regarding them as geographically distinct: J. acutifolia is endemic to Peru, while J. mimosifolia is native to Bolivia and Argentina. If this distinction is made, cultivated forms should be treated as J. mimosifolia, since they are believed to derive from Argentine stock. Other synonyms for the blue jacaranda are J. chelonia and J. ovalifolia. The blue jacaranda belongs to the section Monolobos of the genus Jacaranda.

Ornamental use

The blue jacaranda has been cultivated in almost every part of the world where there is no risk of frost; established trees, however, tolerate brief spells of temperatures down to around −7 °C (19 °F). [6] Even when young trees are damaged by a hard frost and suffer dieback, they will often rebound from the roots and grow in a shrub-like, multi-stemmed form. [6] However, flowering and growth will be stunted if the jacaranda is grown directly on the California coast, where a lack of heat combined with cool ocean winds discourages flowering. [6]

This plant has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [7]

Notable cultivation

Jacarandas at New Farm Park in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia New Farm Park Jacaranda-001+ (273298097).jpg
Jacarandas at New Farm Park in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, is popularly known as Jacaranda City because of the large number of trees, which turn the city blue and purple when they flower in spring. The jacaranda trees, far from their native south-central South America (southern Brazil, Paraguay, northern Argentina and southern Bolivia), bloom every October. Water scarcity has South Africa trying to eradicate foreign species of plants and trees, including the jacaranda. Acknowledging the tree's popularity with locals, the government announced in the early 2000s that it would not remove the trees, but had banned the planting of new jacarandas. [8] However this position softened by 2016, and they were again allowed to be planted in urban environments in a number of provinces, although the position of councils like Johannesburg remained uncertain. [9]

Jacaranda in City Botanic Gardens Brisbane, painted by Richard Godfrey Rivers in 1903 "Under the Jacaranda" by R Godfrey Rivers - Queensland Art Gallery - Joy of Museums - 2.jpg
Jacaranda in City Botanic Gardens Brisbane, painted by Richard Godfrey Rivers in 1903

The first jacaranda bloomed in Sydney, Australia in about 1850. An 1865 report mentioned that Sydneysiders were visitng the Botanic Garden to see the tree's "luxuriant blossom". The same tree is now over 175 years old, and protected by ropes to prevent it falling apart. [10] Jacarandas were first introduced to Brisbane in 1864, and there are guides tours of the best locations to view the flowers. [11] The city of Grafton on the north coast of New South Wales has a jacaranda festival each year in late October and early November. [12]

In the United States, the jacaranda is grown extensively in California, the Southwest, southeast Texas and Florida. [13] Jacaranda can be found throughout most of Southern California, where they were imported by the horticulturalist Kate Sessions. [14] They are also planted as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area and along the frost-free coastal regions of Northern California. [13] [15] In San Francisco, they can only be grown in the city's warmest microclimates, such as Potrero Hill and the Mission District. [16] Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California are known for them. They also grow in Hawaii.

It is one of the most common trees in Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires. [17] Jacarandas can also be found in many parts of Mexico City and are usually in full bloom in March.[ citation needed ]

In Europe the jacaranda is grown on the Mediterranean coast of Spain (it is prominent in the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia, with especially large specimens present in Valencia, Alicante and Seville, and usually with earlier flowering than in the rest of Europe), in southern Portugal (notably in Lisbon), southern Italy (Naples and Cagliari have many mature specimens), southern Greece (especially Athens) and the islands of Malta and Cyprus.[ citation needed ]

Jacaranda are also widely common in cities across Southern Africa. It was introduced to Cape Town; then Johannesburg; Lusaka, Zambia; Gaborone, Botswana; Nairobi, Kenya; and Harare, Zimbabwe. Beyond the region, Jacaranda are also cultivated in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Jharkhand states in India. it is also a common sight in Israel, mainly in the towns and cities of the coastal plain. As mentioned above, the trees are best associated with spring in the cities of Pretoria and Harare, the respective capitals of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Australian Christmas song "Christmas Where the Gum Trees Grow" makes reference to jacaranda trees, as the blooms are only seen in summer time—as the song explains, "When the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here, Christmas time is near". [18]

The movie musical Encanto , set in Colombia, references the plant in the song "What Else Can I Do". Isabela Madrigal explores her plant-summoning powers, she creates, and mentions by line, "a hurricane of jacarandas". [19]

References to the jacaranda plant recur in the musical work of Trevor Rabin, providing the title of his 2012 solo album and also appearing in the lyrics of "I'm Running", a song which he co-wrote and performed as part of Yes and which appeared on their 1987 album Big Generator . The plant has also lent its name to his home studio, The Jacaranda Room.

In Argentina, writer Alejandro Dolina, in his book Crónicas del Ángel Gris (Chronicles of the Gray Angel), tells the legend of a massive jacarandá tree, planted in Plaza Flores in Buenos Aires, that was able to whistle tango songs on demand. María Elena Walsh dedicated her song "Canción del Jacarandá" to the tree. Miguel Brascó's folk song "Santafesino de veras" mentions the aroma of jacarandá as a defining feature of the littoral Santa Fe Province (along with the willows growing by the rivers).

Exam folklore

Jacarandas in Avenida Santa Fe, Buenos Aires. Its blooms were popularly associated with exam time. The tree collapsed in October 2016. Buenos Aires - Avenida Santa Fe entre Maipu y Esmeralda.jpg
Jacarandas in Avenida Santa Fe, Buenos Aires. Its blooms were popularly associated with exam time. The tree collapsed in October 2016.

The University of Queensland in Brisbane is particularly well known for its ornamental jacarandas, and a common maxim among students holds that the blooming of the jacarandas signals the time for serious study for end-of-year exams; the jacaranda when in bloom is also known as the exam tree. [22] [23] Purple panic is a term used by students in south-east Queensland for student stress during the period of late spring and early summer. The "purple" refers to the flowers of Jacaranda trees, which bloom at that time and have been extensively planted throughout that district. The "panic" refers to the need to be completing assignments and studying for final exams. [23]

Conversely, while the time of year the jacarandas bloom in Pretoria coincides with the year-end exams at the University of Pretoria, legend has it there that if a flower from a jacaranda drops on a student's head, the student will pass all their exams. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>Agapanthus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae

Agapanthus is a genus of plants, the only one in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the family Amaryllidaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales. The name is derived from Ancient Greek ἀγάπη (agápē) 'love' and ἄνθος (ánthos) 'flower'.

<i>Delonix regia</i> Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to Madagascar. It is noted for its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red flowers over summer. In many tropical parts of the world it is grown as an ornamental tree. It is a non-nodulating legume.

<i>Jacaranda</i> Genus of trees

Jacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas while cultivated around the world. The generic name is also used as the common name.

<i>Ceiba speciosa</i> Species of tree

Ceiba speciosa, the floss silk tree, is a species of deciduous tree that is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It has several local common names, such as palo borracho, or árbol del puente, samu'ũ, or paineira. In Bolivia, it is called toborochi, meaning "tree of refuge" or "sheltering tree". In the USA it often is called the silk floss tree. It belongs to the same family as the baobab; the species Bombax ceiba; and other kapok trees. Another tree of the same genus, Ceiba chodatii, is often referred to by the same common names.

<i>Adenium obesum</i> Species of plant

Adenium obesum, more commonly known as a desert rose, is a poisonous species of flowering plant belonging to the tribe Nerieae of the subfamily Apocynoideae of the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It is native to the Sahel regions south of the Sahara, tropical and subtropical eastern and southern Africa, as well as the Arabian Peninsula. Other names for the flower include Sabi star, kudu, mock azalea, and impala lily. Adenium obesum is a popular houseplant and bonsai in temperate regions.

<i>Afrocarpus falcatus</i> Species of conifer

Afrocarpus falcatus is a species of tree in the family Podocarpaceae. It is native to the montane forests of southern Africa, where it is distributed in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, and Eswatini. Common names include common yellowwood, bastard yellowwood, outeniqua yellowwood, African pine tree, weeping yew, Afrikaans: outeniekwageelhout, kalander, Sotho: mogôbagôba, Xhosa: umkhoba and Zulu: umsonti. It is widespread, in some areas abundant, and not considered threatened, but it is a protected tree in South Africa. It is grown as an ornamental tree, especially in South Africa, and occasionally abroad.

<i>Tecoma stans</i> Species of tree

Tecoma stans is a species of flowering perennial shrub in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae, that is native to the Americas. Common names include yellow trumpetbush, yellow bells, yellow elder, ginger Thomas. Tecoma stans is the official flower of the United States Virgin Islands and the floral emblem of The Bahamas.

<i>Ipomoea indica</i> Species of flowering plant

Ipomoea indica is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, koali awa, and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or three-lobed leaves and purple or blue funnel-shaped flowers 6–8 cm (2–3 in) in diameter, from spring to autumn. The flowers produced by the plant are hermaphroditic. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<i>Senecio barbertonicus</i> Species of shrub

Senecio barbertonicus, the Barberton groundsel or succulent bush senecio, is an evergreen succulent shrub of the family Asteraceae and genus Senecio, native to Southern Africa, named after one of its native localities Barberton and is now also being cultivated elsewhere for its drought resistance, clusters of sweetly scented, golden-yellow, tufted flower heads in winter and attractiveness to butterflies, the painted lady butterfly in particular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue korhaan</span> Species of bird

The blue korhaan or blue bustard is a species of bird in the family Otididae which is native to South Africa. Its call is a series of frog-like croaks, usually uttered in flight. Its natural habitat is plateau grassland, dry shrubland, arable land and pastureland. Its preferred habitat is one with short grassland and flat topography.

<i>Archontophoenix cunninghamiana</i> Species of palm

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana – commonly known as Bangalow palm, king palm, Illawara palm or piccabeen palm – is a tree in the palm family Arecaceae, which is endemic to the east coast of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia.

<i>Babiana stricta</i> Species of flowering plant

Babiana stricta, the baboon flower or blue freesia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Cape Province, South Africa and naturalized in Australia.

<i>Duranta erecta</i> Species of flowering plant

Duranta erecta is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places. Common names include golden dewdrop, pigeon berry, and skyflower.

<i>Salix acutifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Salix acutifolia, also known as Siberian violet-willow, long-leaved violet willow or sharp-leaf willow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Salicaceae, native to Russia and eastern Asia. It is a spreading, deciduous shrub or tree, growing to 10 m (33 ft) tall by 12 m (39 ft) wide. The young shoots are deep purple with a white bloom. The leaves are narrow, up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The catkins are produced in early spring, before the leaves. Older bark has a fine, netted pattern.

<i>Cassine peragua</i> Species of tree

Cassine peragua, also known as Cape saffron, bastard saffron and forest spoonwood, is a medium-sized tree with fragrant flowers, decorative fruits and a saffron-coloured trunk. It is indigenous to the Afro-montane forests of South Africa.

<i>Trilepisium madagascariense</i> Species of tree

Trilepisium madagascariense, the urnfig or false-fig, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae, with an extensive range in the subtropical and tropical Afrotropics. It grows to a medium-sized or large tree in primary or secondary forest, or in forest patches, and is rarely cultivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacaranda, University of Sydney</span> Historic tree at the University of Sydney

The jacaranda was a historically significant specimen of Jacaranda mimosifolia tree that stood in the south-eastern corner of the University of Sydney main quadrangle, and now describes its clone replanted in the same location.

Jacaranda is a genus for 49 different species of flowering plants.

<i>Jacaranda caerulea</i> Species of tree

Jacaranda caerulea is a flowering tree belonging to the genus Jacaranda. It is native to the West Indies, in Cuba, Hispaniola and the Bahamas.

<i>Coffea racemosa</i> Species of coffee plant

Coffea racemosa, also known as racemosa coffee and Inhambane coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae. It has naturally low levels of caffeine, less than half of that found in Coffea arabica, and a quarter of that in Robusta coffee.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hills, R. (2020). "Jacaranda mimosifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T32027A68135641. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T32027A68135641.en . Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "Jacaranda mimosifolia". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2008-03-09.
  3. ↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species , retrieved 10 September 2016
  4. ↑ Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al. 2009)
  5. ↑ "Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda)". BioNET-EAFRINET. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  6. 1 2 3 Kathleen Norris Brenzel (2007). Sunset Western Garden Book. Sunset Publishing Group. p. 415.
  7. ↑ "Jacaranda mimosifolia". www.rhs.org. Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "South Africa's deep-rooted problem: Unwelcome trees". Christian Science Monitor. 3 August 2001.
  9. ↑ Import, Pongrass (2019-11-13). "Confusion over jacarandas". Rosebank Killarney Gazette. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  10. ↑ Power, Julie (2023-10-20). "Sydney's lesser known jacaranda hotspots and why trees are good for your health". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  11. ↑ Kruk, Courtney (2023-10-12). "Our relationship with jacarandas runs deeper than what meets the eye". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  12. ↑ "Jacaranda Festival Grafton". Archived from the original on 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  13. 1 2 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 (November 1993). "Jacaranda Mimosifolia Fact Sheet" (PDF). hort.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Howser, Huell. "#15006 Jacaranda". California's Gold. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12.
  15. ↑ Buzz Bertolero (2006-10-06). "Jacaranda trees growing in popularity in Bay Area". East Bay Times. Retrieved 2019-02-21.
  16. ↑ Michael Sullivan (2013). Trees of San Francisco. Wilderness Press. p. 44.
  17. ↑ La Nación - August 28th, 2019
  18. ↑ "CHRISTMAS WHERE THE GUM TREES GROW - Lyrics". International Lyrics Playground. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Diane Guerrero & Stephanie Beatriz – What Else Can I Do?" . Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  20. ↑ "Australians mourn tree that 'failed' university students". BBC News. 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
  21. ↑ "University community mourns jacaranda tree collapse". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
  22. ↑ UQ Centenary 2010 - Jacaranda and Sandstone
  23. 1 2 "Jacarandas signal 'purple panic'". The Chronicle. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  24. ↑ "It's Purple Paradise as Jacarandas Bloom & Exams start soon!". SA people NEWS. 2014-10-27. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  25. ↑ "The Jacaranda City". ShowMe South Africa. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.