Infographic: Jacarandas blooming early: A look at L.A.’s cherry blossoms
Usually bare until late May or June, jacaranda trees are expected to fully blossom as soon as late April this year. Some early bloomers have already started. Experts say the unusually warm weather, early heat wave and drought may have played a role. A closer look at the trees that everyone in Southern California loves to photograph, but hates to clean off their patios, cars and pool filters.
Where is your favorite (or least favorite) place to see jacarandas? Post your photos on Instagram with the location and #FloweringLA.
Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Post your photos on Instagram
with the location and
#FloweringLA
Where are
your favorite
jacarandas?
November: The flowers
are mostly gone. The
tree holds its leaves and
pods through the winter.
September: In the fall,
there's usually a second-
ary bloom. The leaves
stay on the tree, making
these flowers less notice-
able.
July/August: When it gets
too hot, the tree stops pro-
ducing flowers. New
leaves start pushing out.
May/June: The flowers
push out and bloom.
"June gloom" conditions
— when humidity is higher
and daytime temperatures
don't exceed the low 70s
— tend to prolong the
bloom time.
March/April: The tree usu-
ally drops its leaves and
seed pods. Hot and dry
weather enhances this
process.
Los Angeles
Age of L.A.'s oldest
street jacarandas
Number of jac-
arandas along
public streets
in the city of
Los Angeles
Number of
jacarandas
maintained
by city of
Pasadena
80-100 years
20,000
1,654
A subtropical tree, jacarandas are well-adapted to the
Mediterranean climate of Southern California
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Paloma Street just east of Allen Avenue in Pasadena
Del Mar Boulevard in Pasadena
3900-4200 Stansbury Avenue in Sherman Oaks
9300 block of Gothic Avenue in North Hills
The older residential streets in Hollywood
North Whittier Drive in Beverly Hills
Index Street in Granada Hills
Los Robles Avenue in San Marino
Unlike ficus and
magnolia trees,
jacaranda roots
rarely buckle
sidewalks.
The trees are moderate-
ly drought-tolerant. Once
established, they don't
require a lot of water but
need an occasional deep
irrigation during summer
months.
Jacaranda branches have irregular growth habits.
The trees tend to be 25 to 40 feet tall and can be
just as wide.
When the flowers on the
ground start decaying, the
fleshy petals become ge-
latinous. Combined with
the fine mist of "June
gloom," sidewalks
become slippery.
The bluish-purple flowers hang down-
ward and are trumpet-shaped, usually
with five petals. Both male and female
parts are in each flower.
Species:
Origin:
Contrary to popular
belief, it's not the
nectar or sap that
makes your car sticky.
It's caused by aphids,
insects that flock to
the flowers and se-
crete a sugary sub-
stance after feeding.
Typical 'bloom cycle' of a
jacaranda tree
By the numbers
Viewing the colors
Paul Duginski / @latimesgraphics
Sources: L.A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Donald R. Hodel of the UC Cooperative Extension, Huntington Botanical Gardens, L.A. City Bureau of Street Services, Pasadena Urban Forestry program, Cal Poly Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute, Times reporting, OpenStreetMap, Mapbox
Graphics reporting by Rosanna Xia
