Jacaranda Tree in Saudi Arabia

The Jacaranda tree in Saudi Arabia is a beautiful flowering tree that belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. People intentionally grow it all over the country for its ability to provide shade and its ornamental value in gardens, public squares, and streets. The people in Aseer Province, located in the southern part of Saudi Arabia, especially in Abha, are particularly well-known for cultivating Jacaranda trees, with over fourteen thousand trees in the city alone. It originates from the tropical regions of South America and has forty-five species of distinct sizes and heights.

Jacaranda flowers bloom in spring and fall about a month after they blossom. The leaves of the trees are green, feathery, and arranged individually opposite each other. The leaves are alternately arranged on the stem, while its branches are arched like an inverted umbrella, making them lush trees.

Jacaranda trees are affected by the environment in which they are planted. Their leaves may fall in extremely cold regions, while they remain green in moderate climates. They naturally propagate in March and April and bloom in May.

The Jacaranda tree is characterized by its rapid growth upon maturity, reaching a height of ten to twenty m. Its leaves have a feather-like shape and are light green. The flowers of the Jacaranda tree vary in color depending on the tree's type, with white and purple being the most common colors. As for the fruits of the Jacaranda tree, they typically range in height from one to three inches. They are brown, have a round, solid, and dry shape, and contain seeds inside. These fruits usually ripen and bear fruit at the end of the summer season.

The Jacaranda tree does not pose a danger to infrastructure, and it does not require a large amount of water. Its wood, known as green ebony, can be used in furniture making, and its flowers are used for medical purposes.

To grow jacaranda trees, it's best to plant their seeds in sandy or clay soil. These trees do not thrive in alkaline soil. They require moderate watering needs, which means they should be watered once a week in winter and twice a week in summer. Jacaranda trees cannot tolerate high levels of salinity and can grow in shaded areas. To maintain a healthy tree, it's recommended to prune its branches to be less than half the diameter of the trunk, which helps increase its thickness.

Jacaranda trees are planted in moderate-temperature regions, especially in the southern parts of Saudi Arabia. The seeds are first planted in nurseries until the seedlings reach a height of around one meter after one year of planting. Afterward, they are transferred to gardens and public squares.