JACARANDA mimosifolia 'Alba' (White Jacaranda)

The White Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia 'Alba') is the white flowered form of the tree that colours half the country each spring. Same ferny foliage and wide spreading habit, reaching about 9m tall with a 7m canopy, but the trumpet flowers open cream white rather than purple. Supplied ex ground as an advanced specimen, it goes in as a tree with real presence.

Why you'll love it

• White where everyone else has purple. The same silhouette and season, in a colour that sits quietly against render, brick and green planting.
• Fast growing. It puts on height quickly, so the canopy fills out sooner than most feature trees of this size.
• Shade in summer, sun in winter. The fine leaflets cast cool dappled shade in the warm months, then the bare canopy lets winter light through.
• Bees and butterflies use it. A large tree in full flower is a serious nectar source.

Where it works best

Shade over lawn. Open lawn is the ideal position, with about 7m of clear space for the canopy and grass beneath that copes with the flower drop.

Feature planting. A single tree seen from the house or street carries a front garden for six weeks each year.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees about 8m apart so the crowns meet without crowding, and keep the row back from the hard edge.

Growing White Jacaranda in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with shelter from strong wind while young. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so coastal Queensland, most of New South Wales, Perth and Adelaide. It takes light frost only, and young growth burns in hard frost, so cold inland and tableland gardens are not suitable.

Soil. Deep and free draining. It is not fussy about type once established, but waterlogged ground will not do. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Soak deeply once a week through the first two summers while roots rebuild, then taper off as it becomes drought tolerant. Go easy on nitrogen rich fertiliser, which pushes leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Keep it light. Shape the young tree in late winter for a clear leader and well spaced limbs, then leave it alone, because heavy cuts trigger upright water shoots.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in one form, ex ground as an advanced specimen rather than in a pot. Ex ground means field grown and lifted with a prepared root ball, so it must go straight into a prepared hole, and machinery is needed to place a tree this size. Plan the access route before delivery day.

Being deciduous, a winter delivery arrives bare, which is normal and the best time to plant. Expect the first season to go into recovery, with lighter growth and perhaps a pause in flowering, then normal performance from the second year. Delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The full jacaranda care guide
• Browse advanced ex ground trees
• Compare other flowering trees

Common questions

How is it different from the purple jacaranda?

Only in flower colour. Size, habit, leaf and season are the same, so it behaves like the familiar tree with cream white trumpets instead of purple.

Can I plant it beside a pool or driveway?

Better not to. The roots lift paving over time, and the flower drop is heavy and slippery on hard surfaces or in water. Keep it out in lawn with room to spread.

When does it flower?

Spring into early summer, with the heaviest display on bare or barely leafed branches. A newly transplanted tree may shorten its first season while it settles.

Will it grow in a cold climate?

Light frost only. It handles an occasional cold morning once mature, but repeated hard frost damages young growth and flower buds, so tableland and cold inland gardens should choose something hardier.