Jacaranda Trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia)

     The Jacaranda tree is a sub-tropical native of south-central South America, but has been widely planted throughout the world because of its beautiful and long-lasting purple bluish flowers. The Jacaranda is most popular in Southern California and Pretoria, South Africa where the Jacaranda is the official tree of San Diego and Pretoria, and is beloved for its beauty and fragrance.
     Jacaranda trees grow best in Mediterranean and sub tropical climates, USDA growing zones 9-11. Jacaranda trees do not like climates where it freezes, but can tolerate very short freeze. Temperature may drop below 15 F. (-9 C.) for a short time, but they do best above the freezing point and in hot weather in the summer.


     Jacarandas grow to a height of up to 96 ft and a width of 45 ft. Its bark is grey-brown in color, thin and smooth when the tree is young though it eventually becomes finely scaly. The twigs are slender and slightly zigzag; they are a light reddish-brown in color. The flowers are up to 2.0 in long, and grouped in 12 in bundle and purple/bluish in color, appearing in spring and early summer, and lasting for up to two months. This is followed by woody seed pods, about 2.0 in in diameter, which contain numerous flat, winged seeds that you can use to plant more trees in your yard or green house. The leaves are bright green and fern like in shape.

     If you ever wondered where all the Jacaranda trees came from to begin with, the answer is an amazing story of one of the first female horticulturalist in California. Kate Sessions was born November 8, 1857 at Knob Hill in the Barbary Coast-era San Francisco 8 years after the beginning of the California Gold Rush. In 1877 she was one of only a handful of women to be allowed to attend U.C. Berkeley were she studied Natural Science and achieved her degree in 1881.

     In 1884, Sessions was offered a teaching job in San Diego which only lasted a year, but this is were the story really takes off. After Sessions short teaching career she partnered with some friends of hers and bought the San Diego Nursery and flower shop and established flower cultivating fields in Coronado, Pacific Beach, and Mission Hills. She became the leading expert in horticulture and landscaping in San Diego. In 1915 the city of San Diego appointed her supervisor of agriculture and landscaper for the school system.


     Sessions was fascinated with exotic plants from around the world, and was experimenting with seeds and plants from Europe, Mexico and South America. In 1892 Sessions leased 32 acres of land owned by the City of San Diego, called City Park at the time but it was not much of a park. It was ugly and overrun by pests. The deal Session made with the city was, she would plant 100 trees per year in the park and 300 trees around the city. In return she would get to use the park as her Lab. She planted Cypress, Eucalyptus, Palms, and Jacarandas and down the road was recalled Balboa Park.
     The popularity of the exotic plants grew and word reached Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, so in the 1920's and 1930's Los Angels and Santa Barbara started planting Jacaranda tree exclusively.

If you would like to grow your own Jacaranda Tree click on this link: Jacaranda Sapling