Comments | gardening: Jacaranda growing back?

thagirion in gardening

Jacaranda growing back?

Mar 31, 2009 12:16

This is along the lines of the post made by ladyapple. I grew a Jacaranda tree from seed last year and I planted it when I moved to my house. I wanted to have a tree that would grow and be as old as when I moved it. I was so happy it had gotten six feet tall. But then we had 3 or 4 freeze nights. I thought the leaves would come back now that ( Read more... )

shrub: butterfly bush, weather: cold snaps, trees, zone: usda 9

Comments 7

0okie March 31 2009, 19:34:49 UTC

When i lived in zone 9b all the people who had jacaranda just seemed to water them, it was the same with crape myrtles. Give it a little into april and you might see some blooms. If you got a night of frost the tree possibly went dormant again. I'm not too sure if these tress send out runners, but i'm sure the main trunk is fine.

thagirion March 31 2009, 22:48:50 UTC

Thanks. I'll just keep watering and hope leaves return to the branches. I'll leave the ones at the base too just in case.

chevyanna March 31 2009, 22:59:42 UTC

Is the main trunk still solid or mushy? If solid give it a month, if mushy cut it back to the ground and select the most healthy new sprout to act as the new main trunk.

Sounds like your freeze was similar to the we had ON THE BEACH in CA a few years back. I lost one of my avocado trees and one of my bamboos. And it nipped my citrus trees a tad. The rest of my yard (and jacaranda) has finally recovered.

thagirion April 1 2009, 13:22:08 UTC

It's still solid. I'm not going to do anything just yet but keep watering it. I'd hate to lose six feet of growth. I think I may have lost my Mange and Pink Dogwood too. Not a good year for trees for me. :(

cinnamonbite April 1 2009, 14:12:36 UTC

Whelp, Jacaranda doesn't do freezes, especially as a child.

Check the main trunk, find a place up high and scratch the bark. Is it green underneath or dead? If it's green, get rid of that new growth at the bottom. Trees are always trying to do that. If it's dead, you're starting over and find the healthiest of the green mess to be your main trunk and get rid of the rest.

By the way, once it gets going, the Jacaranda will live up to it's rep as a fast grower. Mine decided to take off after I moved out, that bastard. I doubt that it's blooming for the tenants (still too young, it's only 5 years old. Sigh) but it's probably 15 feet tall.

thagirion April 2 2009, 16:38:19 UTC

I did that and looks pretty dry. :( Looks like I may have to cut the trunk to a stump. There is one nice new shoot I could use as the new trunk. But what a set back and I don't want it to happen again this winter.

cinnamonbite April 2 2009, 17:33:33 UTC

Cover it or string xmas lights. You have to protect them when they're just kids. On the bright side, the roots didn't die back. Should come back fairly fast. Once they're a little older they can take the cold better.