Shaded by a canopy of purple blooms, I sit on my picnic blanket waiting for my husband to arrive so we can enjoy our lunch and make a toast to our new Florida lifestyle! My cell phone rings. “I’m on my way, are you at our tree?” he asks. “Yes, dear,” I reply. “It’s so beautiful here!”

The entire park is bordered by rows of majestic jacaranda trees. I look at the exquisite curving lines of the mature trees. Their leaves are deep green with a feathery whisper-like fern shape. The lilac-blue flowers are memorizing. What a sight!

This awe-inspiring jacaranda tree, which we always return to, stands 15 feet high. The scent of the blooms is delicious, but it’s the overall color of the tree that makes it so spectacular. I clear a spot for our blanket and try not to sit on the fallen purple blossoms all over the ground. Above me, the branches are so clustered with flowers they are almost touching the top of my head! As I peek out from this wonderful shady spot, it almost feels as if the branches are giving me a warm hug. I wonder how many others have taken the time to really enjoy this wonderful tree.

About the
Jacaranda Tree
 

I wait under the jacaranda and take in the beautiful day. It is warm with a slight breeze, the midday sun peeking out from the slow moving puffs of clouds in the sky. Suddenly, I feel the light velvety touch of a trumpet-shaped flower fall down my hair. I watch it tumble to my freshly smoothed picnic blanket, until it rests just between the two wine glasses I set out. I remember reading somewhere if a jacaranda flower falls on your head, you will be favored by fortune. Lucky me!

It is at this moment I see my husband strolling along, taking pictures of the beautiful scene with his cell phone. I wave and call out, “At last you’re here; what timing! Hurry, sit down beside me!” I pull him over towards me and we both start laughing. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a flower falling right above his head too. Lucky us!

We both smile as we look up at the amazing purple canopy above us. Once again, our favorite jacaranda tree captivates us with its majestic grace and beauty.

In the United States, it can be found in the southwestern states of Arizona, California and Florida. It thrives in dry soil with lots of sunshine and a frost-free climate.

The tree is a spectacular sight to behold in full bloom, generally occurring between April and June depending upon species and location. Interesting leathery seed pods follow the blooms.      

Written by Kellie MacDonell
Printed April 2007

When I hear the word, “Jacaranda,” I instantly think of Venice, Florida. I’ve noticed this name adorning many places around town, from neighborhoods to streets. It’s not a name I associated with a tree, until now, and what a species it is! The jacaranda tree is a majestic, exotic tree that can also be found lining the streets in Australia and Africa. In fact, Pretoria in South Africa is also known as The Jacaranda City, with over 70,000 flowering species. The tree is native to tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.