NBC 7’s Brooke Martell explains why the jacaranda trees around San Diego are slow to bloom.
Here in San Diego, you might not be the only one wishing for warmer days and more sunshine. Some of San Diego’s most iconic and vibrant Jacaranda trees are taking their time to bloom, and it has to do with the weather.
If the county looks a little less vibrant, and not because of June Gloom, you’re not wrong. Chuck Morgan, an arborist and project manager with the local nonprofit Tree San Diego, said the cooler and cloudier weather is a factor in why the Jacaranda trees are experiencing a slightly delayed bloom.
”Part of the tree’s makeup is that not only is it affected by the daylight hours and sunlight, but it’s also by ambient temperature and our ambient temperature has been very low, though we’ve had our typical gray season that we usually get.”
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Jacaranda trees are hard to miss, even when they’re not fully flourishing, they are bright in contrast to a gloomy sky, which is part of the reason there aren’t as many in bloom. Morgan said they are non-native trees from South America and typically bloom around early to mid-May, but not this year.
”They are definitely an eye-catcher and very well known in San Diego,” Morgan said.
“We are into the first part of June now and though there are scattered trees throughout San Diego that are really pushing a lot of blooms, I think the greater majority have a lot less amount of blooms that are coming forth,” Morgan said.
The National Weather Service reported just last month there were more cloudy than sunny days and temperatures were below seasonal norms at San Diego International Airport. Toni Palafox, the owner of Mission Hills Nursery, says the cooler and cloudier conditions are keeping some of these buds from breaking through.
”You either love them or you hate them,” Palafox said.
She reminds us while these purple petals are picturesque on tree branches, when they fall they can be messy.
“If you have to park by them, just know that you want to use some water to take them off,” Palafox said. “Don’t rub them off or you’re probably going to end up with fingerpaints on everything.”
However, don’t let their sticky flowers take away from their beauty. Rick Raney is still waiting for the Jacaranda in his Mission Hills neighborhood to show its full color.
“The flowers are just so beautiful and when you walk and look down into the sidewalk you find it covered with these beautiful flowers,” Raney said.
Right now at Waterfront Park in Downtown San Diego, there are multiple trees blooming with purple flowers. It’s one area the City of San Diego says you can see them, but as the city’s forester Brian Widener said, the wet and cold winter conditions likely played a role in the delayed bloom.
The following statement was sent to NBC 7 from the City of San Diego on behalf of Widener.
“Individual Jacaranda trees have their own varying genetics and can respond to environmental stimuli differently. Still, overall, I think we are seeing a mass response to the wet conditions and cool temperatures that continued into the spring. As temperatures warm and we get more consistent sunshine, we will see our Jacarandas finally start to bloom those familiar purple flowers we look forward to each year.“
