Fruits/Seeds
A red-brown seed pod that is round and flat, and 3 – 6 cm in diameter. It can remain on the tree for several months.
Field Guide
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Jacaranda
Did You Know?
- Originally from South America
- There is an Australian Christmas song about Jacarandas because it flowers shortly before Christmas
Deciduous tree, not native to Australia. Grows up to 15 m high and wide.
Leaves
Bright green, feathery and fern-like. Individual leaves are narrow and elliptic, 3 – 12 mm long and arranged either side of a 5 – 10 cm long stem. They turn yellow in autumn before falling from the tree.
Flowers
Blue-purple and trumpet-shaped, forming clusters that are 20 – 30 cm in diameter. Each individual flower is 2 – 3 cm long and about 1 cm wide. They are lightly fragranced and remain on the tree for about 2 months.
There are four stamens inside the flower which produce pollen, and also a staminode which doesn’t produce any pollen.
What to Observe
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First fully open single flower
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Full flowering (record all days)
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End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)
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Open seed pods (record all days)
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First fully open leaf
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Leaves open (record all days)
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First leaf to change colour
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Leaves changing colour (record all days)
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First leaf to drop this year
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50% or more of leaves dropped (record all days)
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No leaves (record all days)
When and Where
When To Look
- From spring through to autumn
- Leaves appear in spring after the flowers
- Flowers appear in spring (November in NSW and September/October in North Queensland)
- Seed pods appear after flowering
- Leaves change colour in autumn before falling
Where To Look
- Widely throughout Australia, except in frost-prone areas such as mountainous regions
- In urban areas, gardens, parks and roadsides
What Else?
Similar Species
Tibouchina or Purple Glory Bush (Tibouchina urvilleana) is smaller (up to 4m high) with larger leaves (4 – 12cm long) and larger flowers (each petal is about 4 cm long).
