The jacaranda tree is a hardy, fast growing tree with distinctive pale indigo flowers. Native to south-central South America, there are around 50 species. It’s beauty has led to it being widely planted elsewhere. The tree has medicinal uses including the treatment of hepatitis, leukemia, skin infections, and acne. The flowers, leaves, and bark are said to ease neuralgia and varicose veins.
It can grow from 25 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 30 feet wide. Jacaranda flowers often emerge before its ferny leaves in the mid to late spring. Blossoms can open anytime throughout the summer. The flowers are tubular, 2-inches long, and grow in 8-inch long clusters. Seeds come in flattened, clam-like pods that are often used for decorative purposes including flower arrangements. The flowers can often fall in great quantities that can cover the ground like a carpet. The leaves drop in the late winter.