African pink jacaranda (Jesse Durko, courtesy ) This monthly
feature spotlights a plant well-suited for South Florida
gardens. Stereospermum kunthianum, the African pink jacaranda,
produces lots of pink trumpet-shaped blooms from February to
April. The bright blooms cover the tree particularly heavily
after extended drought periods. They are carried in large
pendulous panicles and appear before the new foliage emerges.
Individual blooms are 1 1/4 to 2 inches wide and 1 1/4 inches
long. The lower corolla lip is streaked with red markings,
standing out against the overall pink coloration. The foliage is
pinnate with an average of four pairs of leaflets and terminal
leaflet. The overall leaf averages 10 inches in length with
leaflets about 3 1/4 inches long and 1 1/4 inches wide. Leaves
are green above and yellow-green below with prominent veins. The
pink jacaranda varies considerably in size depending on where it
grows. Trees growing in moist locations can attain 40 feet in
height, whereas trees in very dry roc