[Arid_gardener] Jacaranda Tree Losing Leaves

[Mike Hills]

Carl - Jacaranda trees are winter deciduous in our climate.   This means
they lose most or all of their leaves in winter time, and the leaf drop
starts in fall as days get shorter.    In a warm, mild winter they may only
lose a few - in their original homeland in the South American tropics of
Brazil, it does not get cold, so they usually stay evergreen, but that is
not the case in the Valley.  In a hard winter freeze as occurred throughout
the Valley last year, many Jacaranda trees will even lose smaller branches
and some small less mature trees may die completely.

The frosts this week may harm your tree depending on how large it was when
planted and how well established it is now.   If the trunk is small than
1-1/2 inches in diameter, you may want to wrap some thick burlap around the
trunk from ground level up into the lower branches - if much smaller, then
cover the tree as with other small frost sensitive plants.

You may see some Jacaranda trees around your area that keep their leaves
longer - they may be in a slightly warmer spot, or that specific jacaranda
tree is more cold hardy.   My own tree is 10 years old and the trunk about 8
inches in diamter - it always loses about half it's leaves in the Fall and
winter, and then just in early spring all the rest drop off as new leaves
pop out.

Jacaranda trees do need more and deeper watering than our desert trees do.
It helps to keep a thick layer of mulch around their root zone to keep the
roots cooler and more moist during the summer heat and dry period.   These
tropical trees also benefit from fertilizer applications in the Spring and
early summer.

Here are some more details on this great and beautiful blooming tree.

http://ag.arizona.edu/classes/lar520/unit4/jacamimo.htm

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Bignoniaceae/Jacaranda_mimosifolia.ht
ml

Mike Hills


-----Original Message-----
From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
[mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu]On Behalf Of
carlj at 1-sourcesolutions.com
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2004 8:22 AM
To: arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Jacaranda Tree Losing Leaves


Hello:

I planted a Jacaranda Tree last spring in the southeast
corner of my yard in Chandler.  It has been doing well all
summer.  However, in the last month or so it has been losing
its leaves, but continues to have new growth.  The other
Jacaranda trees in my neighborhood look great.  Currently I
am watering it once a month, and it does get some water from
the overspray from watering a patch grass that borders where
the tree is planted.

I have read that losing leaves is a sign that it needs more
water?  Is this true?  Or could be it be something else?

Thank you,

Carl
Chandler, AZ
Carl Johnson
One Source Accounting Solutions
Phone:  602-628-8206
Fax:    480-659-1160
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