SeeCalifornia.com

SANTA ANA, CALIF.–The colorful purple and blue jacaranda trees are blossoming in California, lighting up neighborhoods with brilliant hues. Dripping in blossoms that drench the sky 40 to 100 feet high, the jacaranda tree grows well in dry soil and is able to withstand brief frosts. California native Kate Sessions, “Mother of Balboa Park,” is credited with importing and popularizing not only the jacaranda, but many trees & plants from Mexico, Europe and other parts of the world. Most of the oldest trees in Balboa Park (San Diego) were introduced by the horticulturist who never married, but truly loved nature.

Jacarandas can be propagated from grafting, cuttings and seeds though plants grown from seeds take a long time to bloom. The flowers are shaped somewhat like lilies. They are produced in panicles (branched clusters of flowers.) The branches (or racemes) are inflorescence–clusters of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. The stalked flowers arranged singly along an elongated axis have five-lobed blue to purple-blue corollas.  You can buy jacaranda trees at local  nurseries but if you’re having a hard time finding a place that sells them, contact Armstrong Gardens (armstronggarden.com).