Purple is blowing in the wind, buzzing, and beautiful!
In California jacaranda trees bloom twice a year or continually from spring into fall. The spring blossoms seem to be darker purple than the fall blooms.
Amazingly, at the same time, the exact same colors are blooming on the lavender, agapanthus, and other garden flowers.
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Jacaranda trees define the playful nature of purple. The blossoms welcome spring after the rains. The trees with the most blossoms are in full sun most of the day. Long summers days add to their sun exposure and the explosion of purple.
Branching out from the trunk are limbs weaving themselves skyward into a shape similar to an inside-out umbrella. This seems to allow the most sun to reach into the middle of the tree. The tree’s shape also suggests a person standing with arms up and out, celebrating or cheering. Perhaps this is its expression of joy that makes me feel jubilant when I see them blooming.
There are about 50 species of Jacaranda, but the purple ones in the parking lot at the Millbrae Public Library are my all-time favorites. Most are native to areas in South America where there is no frost. Brazil claims them as natives. Other species call the Caribbean region home.
In September the new seed pods wave in the wind with the flowers. As they mature, they flare open to release the seeds.
When the days get shorter it all ends with leaves, seed pods, and dry blossoms littering the parking lot. Time to rest for the winter and gather new strength to create a new show the following spring.
There’s still time to go to the library to see these trees in bloom and feel their joy.
