Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia)

Jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia, is the South American tree that turns the avenues of Bengaluru, Pune and the hill towns lavender-blue in the dry weeks before the monsoon. It is planted for that spectacle, and it has no food or medicinal role in Indian tradition.

Botanical name: Jacaranda mimosifolia D.Don
Family: Bignoniaceae
Tamil: Neelamaram
Hindi: Neeli gulmohar
Parts used: Flowers (ornament)
Habit: Blue avenue Bignonia; gulmohar is Delonix
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Jacaranda

The leaves are finely divided, twice-pinnate and fern-like, which is what mimosifolia, “mimosa-leaved”, refers to. When the tree flowers it is often almost leafless, so the blue looks even stronger.

Flowers are tubular, lavender-blue bells about four centimetres long, in loose clusters. Fallen flowers carpet the road beneath for weeks.

The fruit is a flat, round, woody capsule, like a small castanet, that splits to release thin winged seeds.

Gulmohar, Delonix regia, has similar feathery leaves but scarlet flowers and long flat pods, and it belongs to the pea family. People call jacaranda the blue gulmohar for the shared leaf.

Traditional use of Jacaranda

City planting

Colonial-era and later city planners favoured it for avenues in milder Indian cities. Bengaluru’s jacaranda season, roughly March to May, is now part of the city’s calendar.

Indian urban planting

Modern notes on Jacaranda

Jacaranda is studied mainly as an urban tree: its shade, its tolerance of pruning, and its brittleness in storms. Laboratory extract papers exist but have no bearing on household use.

Jacaranda safety

Old trees can drop large limbs in monsoon storms. Regular arborist checks matter more than anything else about this tree.

Ecology and sourcing

Its native home is the dry forests of Argentina and Bolivia. In South Africa and parts of Australia it has spread into grassland and riverbanks and is managed as an invader.

In India it seldom spreads on its own. It offers nectar to bees but supports less wildlife than native avenue trees such as neem or Indian laburnum.

Related plants

Also in Bignoniaceae

Questions about Jacaranda

Is Jacaranda gulmohar?

No. Gulmohar is Delonix regia, with scarlet flowers. Jacaranda is sometimes called the blue gulmohar because the leaves look alike.

When does Jacaranda flower in India?

Mostly in the dry season before the monsoon, roughly March to May in Bengaluru.

Why mimosa-leaved?

The twice-divided leaf is as fine as a mimosa’s. That is what the species name says.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.