Native Plants

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Wednesday - August 17, 2011

From: Los Angeles, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives, Trees
Title: Non-native Jacaranda interfering with concrete wall from Los Angeles
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

We have been replanting the area surrounding our 2 story apt bldg and on one area, there is Jacaranda that started growing in an enclosed cement block wall area. The cemented walled in area which is filled in with dirt is about 6 feet wide by 30 feet long, and about 5 feet high. The Jacaranda is growing in the 6 foot area. Question: The trunk is about 8-9 inches in diameter now and about 25 feet tall. Should I be worried about it breaking out of the enclosed concrete block area? We don't want the root system to break apart the enclosed walled dirt/plant area. Should we take it out, trim it way down and how should we go about any of this. Appreciate any information to assist us. Thanks.

ANSWER:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is committed to the growth, propagation and protection of plants native to North America and to the areas in which those plants grow natively. According to this Floridata article, Jacaranda acutifolia is native to the Amazon Basin countries of Brazil, Argentina and Peru, so we will have no information on this tree in our Native Plant Database. To quote one line from the above reference:

"Most jacarandas reach very sizable proportions and are unsuitable for small properties."