Sorry spoiler: Jacaranda may look like a nitrogen fixing tree, but it’s not. Nevertheless it became one of my all time favourite ornamental flowering trees. Why? Link at the end ;)
I got into researching about Jacaranda when there was a nitrogen-fixing-trees-recognition-switch switched on in my brain all of a sudden. A few weeks into my last year PDC I suddenly understood what characteristics nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs share quite often. The leaves where often bipinnate, large flowers panicles with big agglomeratins of flowers are formed, seed pods are hanfing on the tree like beans or somilar and [N]-fixers grow lush even in neglected urban situations where the ground is sealed.
The Jacaranda met all these characteristics: Jacaranda mimosifolia is an evergreen, lush tree, that cascades purple flowers in spring and grows one of the hardest and most beautifuly shaped seed pods I know. It also seems to be grown fairly easily from seeds. But wherever I researched, no signs for nitrogen fixation.
Here are the flowers and a seed pod from the year before. Image curtesy: Tatters
Here are the seed pod and seeds. Image curtesy: Gussisaurio
With all the disappointement of not having found the most beauiful support species alive right in front of my eyes, there is still confort every March in the streets of Lisbon (capital of Portugal). Here Jacaranda mimosifolias are extremely often planted in streets, squares and parks, where they casts their wonderfully filtered light on the people below, protecting them from the hot summer sun. Large goups and strips of Jacaranda are planted together and every March you can see this fabulous spectacle in violett: Lisbon in March
And before I forget:
The opened seed pods make for a great scary maskerade! Dont do it on the playground as I did with my kids... oups :D
This post is proudly filled with original writing. Photos are referenced just the main image (and thumbnial) plus my Jacaranda-Mask-selfie are mine.
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