We just bought a house that has two big jacarandas out the back amongst a heap of other established trees. I have always thought these trees are beautiful when flowering but now I’ve done some further reading. Sounds like they can have quite an invasive root system and their foliage/flowers can be quite smelly when dropped. We are getting the front palms removed but should we look at cutting them down too at the same time? I do love the shade they will provide so I’d definitely want to plant some sort of tree in their positions.
by kirst_e
18 Comments
Keep.
According to the water corp, their root invasiveness is [moderate](https://pw-cdn.watercorporation.com.au/-/media/watercorp/documents/water-care/waterwise-advice/select-the-right-tree.pdf?rev=fbd02735760e40c6a75e5e03f7117391&hash=40EE40C3C716831963181D749ECA1214&_gl=1*ouyg9h*_gcl_au*MTI1MjIwMjc0LjE3NjE5MTI3MzI.*_ga*MTgxMzM3MTYzNC4xNzYxOTEyNzMz*_ga_XS0K8Z5E0Y*czE3NjE5MTI3MzIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjE5MTI3MzckajU1JGwwJGgw). Sometimes it helps to know what kind of pipes you have below ground for some situations.
Live with them for a full year of seasons and then decide.
No!!! Jacarandas fall under trees the Australian government is happy to keep as an exotic species as they are great for our native birds. If they’re mature trees, I would not be concerned about root systems now if there is no damage done. However I do believe in getting rid of the palms, awful things they are. There’s great, small native trees you could put in its place. Jacarandas are beautiful, particularly in flower. If you’re concerned about them, at minimum I would have an arborist come out and look, not a tree lopper (it’s in their business best interest to chop you trees down so not sound advice).
Please keep them! It doesn’t look like there are a lot of other trees immediately around you and having a good canopy helps reduce the heat in and around your home and neighbourhood in summer.
Could you plant something nice instead?
I personally hate jacarandas, they flower for only 2-3 weeks of the year. The flowers are hard for birds to get the nectar out of because of their shape. Then the mess! They drop tiny leaves every where and the flowers will drop nearly all at once. Id much rather replace the council owned jacarandas in front of my house with something else if I had a choice.
we had pipe damage from one, had to cut a slab to get to the pipes. Also gutter damage because they grew over the roof and constant clogs when flowers dropped. They dont like to be trimmed, they will send branches straight up. They will be big trees and will come with big tree problems
I dont think they smell but in spring they will trigger my allergies, when the flowers drop it can be slippery like any flower, but its teh sheer number is what gets you
they look east and south so doing nothing much to give shade to the house
people will say keep but its not their house, therefore not their problem. Super easy for people to tell what others to do without considering consequences
Take this info and make an educated and informed decision, fuck what others have to say they can do what they want in their own garden
I have had one for 20 years. It shades in winter, lets the sun through in summer, drops sticks, leaves or flowers but only after covering your car with sap first. Yeah they look ok if they aren’t yours but …. . I only keep it because it’s the only tree on the street now. I can go on but I won’t
Apparently you can’t replace them with another jacaranda, for a reason, so consider that. There are plenty of other native flowers trees that house rosellas near me.
Nahh, these trees are probably more valuable than your house when all said and done. They provide more than just shade; they’re beautiful. Create oxygen, consume carbon dioxide, create beauty and shelter life.
They make a shit tonne of mess , leaves , twigs , seed pods , Flowers stain ….. if you can handle that , keep them
I personally love, their elegant trees. I appreciate that if panted close to the house (like any tree) it could do damage. If established it’s likely that’s already happened. I’d get some professional advice if concerned.
Please keep
I grew up in Grafton and Jacaranda festival is the biggest event of the year. They’re gorgeous trees. I grew up with them everywhere and honestly never noticed a smell. Never heard of anyone experiencing root invasion either. Keep them!
I’d personally cut every palm tree down as their fronds are a bastard to dispose of and can be very destructive in high winds.
But I’d never cut a beautiful jacaranda down. I can see my neighbour’s from my bedroom and it makes me so happy each I catch a glimpse of it. I’ve planted a white jacaranda to compliment it, but they seem to be very slow growing.
There’s been jacarandas in my street at least from the mid 70s.
With all the storm activity we’ve had this year in the SE we’ve had 2 of them fall over and 1 snap off about a metre off the ground.
Luckily they fell away from the houses. Same thing has happened to several gum trees, though they did fall across the houses.
I’d remove them and replace them with smaller (2-3 metre) natives.
The older trees get very brittle , a danger close to a house .
Terrible messy plant and the seed pods will kill your lawn mower… roots that get so big you trip over them … one of those trees that’s always nicer in someone else’s yard !
Brittle branches and with the more aggressive storms and weather conditions it’s probably better to remove them. Too close to the house
Depends how tall they are above your house.
They require a lot of work , tiny leaves get through fly screen, Sticks and seed pods that block gutters and they flower like crazy (beautiful pastel purple) with sticky nectar.
I always cursed the one in my neighbours because she was an established beauty hanging 15 metres over my roof but they got rid of her for a subdivision.
I miss her soft and unrelenting grace against the skyline of my driveway as i return home.