Jacaranda Mimosifolia

Scientific Name: Jacaranda mimosifolia

Common Name: Jacaranda

Family: Bignoniaceae

Names in other languages: Amharic, English(mimosa-leaved jacaranda,jacaranda,Brazilian rose wood); French (flambouyant bleu); Spanish (tarco,jacarandá,gualanolay,flamboyán azul);Tigrigna (palasandro)

General Information

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

Features of Jacaranda mimosifolia that make it identifiable:

Bark: pale brown and furrowed, transverse cracks dividing the ridges between the furrows into long, narrow scales.

Leaves: compound and feathery on a stalk to 40 cm; up to 30 pairs of

small, pointed leaflets.

Flowers: striking blue-violet, in clusters, each flower bell shaped, to 4 cm,

usually on the bare tree before leaf growth.

Fruit : a rounded woody capsule to 7 cm across with a wavy edge, brownblack when mature, splitting on the tree to set free many light-winged

seeds. Capsules may hang on the tree for up to 2 years.

Uses

Bark and roots are used for syphilis.

Leaves also used as a vulnerary.

The tree creates pleasant open shade and can be used effectively as a screen or as a windbreak.