(Jacaranda)
SIZE: Medium (Height: 20-35'; Spread: 15-25').
GROWTH RATE: Moderate.
FOLIAGE: Light green, fernlike, compound leaves with oval leaflets 1/2" long. Fall foliage is yellow and drops February-March; new foliage often appears immediately.
FLOWER/FRUIT/BARK: Beautiful lavender flowers hang in clusters 6-8" long, bloom April-July. Brown seedpods 1-2" long, develop in fall, eventually drop. Smooth, brown bark.
MONTHLY WATERING NEEDS: 1st year: 4; 2nd year: 3; 3rd year: 1.
TREE CARE: Moderate. Requires annual pruning; removal of suckers; sidewalk cleanup during flower and seedpod drop. Stake and prune when young to develop good branch structure.
TOLERANCES: Sandy soil.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Does not tolerate strong winds, fog, or cold. Appropriate only for San Francisco's warmest microclimates. Flowers have sticky nectar. Requires two to three years to become established.
NOTABLE TRAITS: If you have the right conditions and patience, a marvelous tree. Offers a lovely flower display and delicate foliage. Prone to aphids and resulting sticky honey dew and sooty mold. Attracts birds and bees.