Jacaranda tree?

[Walt]

Last week I made a trip over to Crowley's Nursery in Sarasota County, Florida. I bought nine assorted trees and bamboo. One tree I bought was some kind of species of Jacaranda, at least that's what the tree was labled and sold to me as. Further, I was told this tree will remain small, lending itself to a container grown patio tree (yesterday I potted it up to a larger, nicer pot and will grow it on my screened lanai).

My question for the forum is, can anyone tell me what species this jacaranda tree is? I did some googling but so far haven't run across any photos showing this leaf and flower type. Could this tree be commonly called a jacaranda (maybe due to the flowers) but not in the jacaranda genus at all?

Also, how does this species measure up with respect to cold hardiness, as one day I may want to plant this out.

My small tree as I bought it in original pot. It's since been stepped up in pot size.

Close up of leaves and flowers.

[Eric in Orlando]

That is Jacaranda jasminoides, a nice, smaller tree 10-15 ft. It never flowers heavily like the common J. mimosifolia but has small amounts of flowers most of the warmer months.

Is it grafted? Often they are grafted onto J. mimosifolia. We had one growing here for years and it had tolerated down to 27F no problem. But this wnter killed it to the roots. Since it was grafted onto J. mimosifolia I will have to get another. We only got to 29F this winter but the duration and the 2 nights of heavy frost is what killed it back. It was growing in a wide open location.

[fastfeat]

Jacaranda jasminoides 'Maroon'. Makes a large shrub to small tree.

Not really sure about its ultimate cold-hardiness, but there's a good-sized one at Leu Gardens that's seen some cold. Don't know how it took this past winter's brutality though.

[Peter]

Definitely different leaves than the 'jasminoides' that we are growing here in Cali. Seeds come from the flowering tree @ Flamingo, which is grafted onto a mimosifolia.

[BS Man about Palms]

I saw Len moved his yesterday. It looked pretty good.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

The one at the Deerfield Beach Arboretum is grafted also onto mimosifolia, but the graft is about 3' up. The tree blooms as Eric said, off and on in most warm months. It is about 10' or 12' tall. Seeds are like hen's teeth.

[Walt]

Thanks Eric, FF and others for the replies. I've made a Jacaranda jasminodes entry into my copy of The Tropical Look, in the bottom margin under the Jacaranda genus.

Eric, yes, my tree is grafted, I noticed the bud union when I bought the tree. Also, another tell-tale sign of grafting some mimosa type leaves (J. mimosifolia) sprouting on the trunk below the graft.

I will container grow my J. jasminoides until next spring, hoping it will be bigger, thus more cold hardy, and then I will plant it in the ground.

[MattyB]

I've made a Jacaranda jasminodes entry into my copy of The Tropical Look, in the bottom margin under the Jacaranda genus.

RLF would be turning over in his grave.....in joy!!!! I was just reading through The Tropical Look last night too!

[ariscott]

Definitely different leaves than the 'jasminoides' that we are growing here in Cali. Seeds come from the flowering tree @ Flamingo, which is grafted onto a mimosifolia.

Yeah... different leaves from what I am growing too.... I knew it was jasminoides when I saw the flowers.... Nice

Regards, Ari

[mppalms]

Definitely different leaves than the 'jasminoides' that we are growing here in Cali. Seeds come from the flowering tree @ Flamingo, which is grafted onto a mimosifolia.

Very interesting, particularly as I seem to have two very different-looking "Jacaranda jasminoides". One (sourced from Florida) has downy gray-green rather-large (for a Jacaranda) leaflets and small clusters of very dark purple/maroon flowers. It seems to grow relatively slowly (though is a grafted plant), has taken 28 deg. F in stride, is reliably evergreen and has never fruited for me. The other (sourced from southern California and labelled as being from "Bolivia") has medium-green, slightly smaller leaflets with more leaflets on average per leaf. It is a faster grower and has been evergreen except last winter when it got hit with a surprise one-night 29 deg. F. It eventually lost its leaves but leafed out again in spring, apparently showing no stem damage. I have not seen flowers on it.

I'm wondering whether one of them is Jacaranda glabra or Jacaranda atropurpurea. Both (I believe) are also found in Bolivia. Or, perhaps both are variations on Jacaranda jasminoides (?). Anyone know? I realize it's hard to make a determination without seeing flowers or fruit or both.

Jason

[Walt]

Follow-up (update) to my original post.

After over wintering my Jacaranda jasminoides on my lanai (bringing it in the house on the coldest nights) I finally decided to plant it in the ground. On the lania about a month ago it got a severe infestation of aphids and subsequent powdery mildew (which I sprayed and killed). The little tree started to put out some serious growth this spring and I decided it might outgrow my lanai, or at least become too tall to bring in the house this coming winter.

In any event, I planted it back in a lightly wooded area of my property that will still get adequate sunlight. I took note of the plants growing in the area, such as white bird of paradise, anthurium, claradendron, etc., that went mostly undamaged this past winter, so I'm hoping my jacaranda might survive there. And last winter was the coldest low temperature I've ever recorded here in 13 years (20.9F in the open and high 20s under canopy). I read that this species can take down to 27F, so if this winter is milder, I believe my jacaranda should survive. But if by chance it doesn't, the root stock is Jacaranda mimosifolia, so that should survive.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Nicely grown!

[Eric in Orlando]

That looks great !!!

The one I mentioned we had at Leu Gardens froze to the ground after the winter of 209-2010. It was grafted onto J. mimosifolia and so the growth that grew back was J. mimosifolia. I decided to let that grow and the tree grew to about 10ft in the past year. I just noticed a shoot of J. jasminoides has grown from the base, A YEAR LATER !!! I haven't decided which I will let survive now.

[Peter]

Nicely grown Walt. Here's a photo of my jasminoides currently in bloom. This one is seed grown from the mother tree in Flamingo gardens, which is itself a jasminoides grafted onto a mimosifolia. The flowers and leaves appear different from yours:

[LJG]

Peter, ours is a cross. I am almost certain. It seems we get the nice dark purple flowers and no seed pods from Jasminoides, but the leaflets and size from some other Jac.

[Peter]

I agree Len.

[ariscott]

I get my seeds from Thailand that was grown from the seeds from the same source as Peter & Len, I believe. So, I think they will produce seed pods, given time....

Regards, Ari

[Walt]

Nicely grown Walt. Here's a photo of my jasminoides currently in bloom. This one is seed grown from the mother tree in Flamingo gardens, which is itself a jasminoides grafted onto a mimosifolia. The flowers and leaves appear different from yours:

Peter. Your tree flowers are beautiful. If it is a hybrid, all the better.

[Peter]

My jasminoides is full of blooms today:

[Brian Bruning]

This is beautiful! If you get seeds or can root a cutting contact me at BBruning@hotmail.com. I'm also looking for the Cuban endemic J. arborea which has pink flowers.

[Brian Bruning]

It could be a hybrid. I have a J. jasminoides and it blooms dark wine red. I love the purple. Does anyone have white? Where can I get one? I tried Gardino Nurseries in FL but all I got for $150 was a stick that was DOA. They are giving me a hard time about a replacement or refund. I think they dumped a dead tree on an out of stater. I wouldn't recommend them.