Small Leaves on a Jacaranda

[dansai]

I picked up a Jacaranda today, labelled as Jacaranda mimosifolia, that was with a few other advanced trees in a nursery. They didn't look grafted, but all were tall, over 2m, skinny and lanky with leaves only at the top except the one I got. It had multiple trunks growing from close to the same point but still quite small. The big difference - leaves, by which i mean the whole compound leaf, not individual leaflets, were smaller than the size of a palm.

I can get some pictures tomorrow but was wondering if anyone has come across this before? There were a lot more leaves on this plant and I did think that multiple leaves may have been responsible for the reduction but was hoping that maybe, just maybe, it might be a genetic difference that could be very useful for bonsai. Or maybe a different species?

[melbrackstone]

Standard Jacaranda is Jacaranda Mimosifolia, I believe. I have one I dug up from a friend's place recently, and while it's still recovering, it's thrown out new shoots that are staying as very small leaves. From what I've read they do reduce with time, and from what I'm seeing they stay small from stress... at least at the start.

So I'm guessing your tree has been stressed, but hey, if it's a genetic thing then all the better!

Good luck.

[Pearcy001]

Think Ken has had some great success with the reduction of Jacaranda compound leaves on a thread somewhere, maybe he can share some info when he sees this post.

If the compound leaves are already this size, imagine if you can make them even smaller

Good luck Dansai! Keep us posted if you do collect.

Cheers,
Pearcy.


Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[kcpoole]

Yep mine is here
viewtopic.php?f=129&t=5621

they are great trees to play with and the leaves do reduce quite well. The bark has great texture and they take wire readily
Lots of dieback though but they regrow well so you can treat them roughly.

good fun tree but definitely not the usual species

Ken

[dansai]

Well here are some pics.

Jacaranda - 1.jpg

I don't know that its that stressed. It does look cut down, may have lost the original leader, but there has been a fair amount of growth since and the leaves are getting bigger as the new shoots have extended. Below is one of the largest leaves near the ends of one of the new shoots.

Jacaranda - 2.jpg

[kcpoole]

It might be seed variation and you have one that has naturally smaller leaves. If so, do not kill it as will be good to propagate from

it could also be potbound and stressed stunting the growth.
Repoot it and give a good feed, Select the trunkline and cut off the rest. See how it develops next spring / Summer

Ken

[Kevin]

Dan,

The leaf shape is deformed too. Normal leaf shape is obovate.
Are they all like this?
My Jac's leaves went a similar whacky temporarily, lasting a week or so immediately following me stressing the plant - i grew mine horizontal from seedling, then / now endeavouring a raft style.

Kevin

[dansai]

Just pulled it out of pot. Definitely not potbound. About half the leaves do seem a little odd in shape. The rest seem fine. Colour seems good although some leaves are missing leaflets. Was in a reasonably shady spot but so were the others at the nursery so hard to know exact cause. Suppose my only option now is to see how next seasons growth goes. If it keeps the smaller leaves will definitely need to propagate from it. Does anyone know if they how they go from cuttings?

[Kevin]

Hello Dan,

Where's your text books?
The set of 3 books by Raymond J Rowell the Plant Whisperer.
Cannot look it up now as book is at home. I do clearly remember from this book and other internet references like Don and ABC - they all state "do not trunk prune" always encourage a single leader, Jac's when trunk pruned will always send vertical replacements severely detracting the aesthetics of their natural form - but hey this is Bonsai.
Mine is 2 months is this shot, note the leaves. Other photos / stages were worse, but always came good.

_DSC4100.jpg

Kevin

[Jdceng]

Hi There

Has anyone had any luck with flowering on these in bonsai pots?

JC

[dansai]

Hi Kevin. I'm well aware of jacarandas tendency to produce vertical shoots after pruning, even though I read it for the first time yesterday while doing some research and came across the Don's website. Thing is, I only picked this plant up 2 days ago. Many years ahead of playing around to see how it responds to bonsai culture.

[Kevin]

Sorry Dan,

I should have mentioned - a possibility as a consequence of the tree's natural growth habit changing, hormones could be raging, therefore as a result, maybe, leaf size, maybe. But i think that's already been covered.
I apologise you received my intent incorrectly. I was being a 'smarty pants', only due to having the image handy, definitely not denigrating your Hort knowledge. Like you, the book only appeared in the image due to being used to refresh my knowledge in assisting me with my little Jac.
I still find these books my 'go to' for information, only using the internet when not at home.
In fact, my intent was more curiosity relating to - Do they still use these books in TAFE's and Uni's for all the plants cultural references? I actually expected you to call me a fossil for referring to the books.
Raymond Rowell (the book's author) His son - JOHN was my teacher for PMCU i, ii and iii. I cannot believe i just remembered that.

Kevin

[kcpoole]

[quote="Kevin they all state "do not trunk prune" always encourage a single leader, Jac's when trunk pruned will always send vertical replacements severely detracting the aesthetics of their natural form - but hey this is Bonsai.[/quote]

I assum they are referring to trunk chpops
If so i have cocked mine up at least 3 times Looks much better for it too
Wire soon fixes the vertical shoots on Jac just like all Bonsai, so no different there IMHO

Re flowering, As Bonsai, they will NOT flower because they only flower on the tips of new spring growth. As we constantly cut that off to control the tree, flowers get cut off too.
The old myth that Jacarandah will not flower in pots though has been busted many times. There are photos on the site of Jac in flower in pots, but not any styled tree

Ken

[Kevin]

Wire soon fixes the vertical shoots on Jac just like all Bonsai, so no different there IMHO
Ken

Hello Ken,

IMHO i agree too.
The book and Burke are referring to Park / Landscape Jac's.
I actually reread your thread last night, i think that makes 3 times now - all in pursuit of learning from the GRAND CHAMPION.

Kevin