But it’s hard for him to say more than that, such as whether blooms are connected to a larger pattern the arboretum doesn’t have much data on jacarandas because they’re not native here. McDonough says an early, warm spring may have caused the early bloom. “We had some rather warm weather after some rather cool weather. “That means they’re just a little bit confused,” he says. I asked him what April blooms mean for jacarandas. “Are we going to move earlier and earlier? The tree seems healthy and all that, but I would guess that at some point, it’s not going to be anymore,” Pettit says.įrank McDonough is the go-to guy for botany questions at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. “The other thing I notice is they’re blooming, but they seem to be dropping their blooms pretty quick too,” she says.Īll of this leads Norris, Pettit and other observers to ask what’s going on with jacaranda blooms. They think the blooms have come “a wee bit earlier” than last year. Norris says she and her friends have been talking about jacarandas, too. But Pettit says that hasn’t been the case the last couple years. We just thought they were fabulous.”īy most accounts, jacarandas in Southern California have bloomed in late May and early June most years. My husband came with me both times, and as we walked around Orange, we were just amazed at those trees. (She’s the Chief Technology Officer at Chapman College.) “I came to visit in March, and then I came in April to look at housing. And, you know, it was a pretty rigorous interview process,” Norris says.

But the jacaranda made an impression on her even before she moved. Helen Norris, a recent transplant from Northern California to Orange, has lived here a year. “I’ve noticed that most of them have bloomed early and are now leafing out.” He sees the trees all around Santa Monica, on his way to work as a lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Over time, what he noticed has changed: “It bloomed early this year.” And that’s not the only jacaranda he thinks might be behaving differently. “I’ve been noticing the tree and noticing its patterns of when it blooms, and when it doesn’t, and how much stuff we can expect to have fall on the deck.” The way the branches spread out and create a big spherical area of this gorgeous purple,” he says. “In fact, when we built a deck, we built a deck around the tree so we wouldn’t disturb it. Santa Monica resident David Pettit knows those shades well – there’s been a jacaranda behind his house for 33 years. and Orange Counties, you’re seeing trees with trumpet-shaped flowers explode in shades of purple. To understand what may be causing jacaranda trees to bloom earlier, we travel a winding road, from Southern California to the Southern Hemisphere. Then, find a more permanent home for the plant outdoors or transfer it to a larger pot-at least 5 gallons or more.You may have noticed that Southern California's signature blooming trees, the jacaranda, have been putting forth their lavender blossoms earlier than usual this year and in recent years. Allow the plant ample time to establish its root system. After that, do not transplant the cuttings for at least eight months.

Once the water-rooted cutting has roots at least 1 inch long, plant the cutting into a soilless potting mix.

Place the plant in a bright location but not direct sunlight direct sunlight can burn or dehydrate the cutting.

Optionally, you can dip the cut end into rooting hormone to boost its chances of root production. Or, you can directly plant the cut end in an enriched, moist soilless growing medium. While you wait for the roots to grow in the water, replenish the water level with filtered, room-temperature water.

You can put the cutting in a clear glass or jar of room temperature filtered water until roots form (about two weeks), then plant it into potting soil.

The cutting should be at a minimum of 3 to 4 inches long and should have at least three nodes on it. Make at least a 1-inch diagonal cut the longer cut surface encourages rooting. Cut it just above a node (the point where the leaf grows from the stem).

Take a cutting from a branch that has grown past the bark and contains healthy buds.

If you use the water rooting method, you will eventually need a container filled with potting soil to plant the rooted stem. You'll also need either a clear jar of water or a pot of moistened soilless potting mix (with perlite), or a sandy, loamy mix. Use pruning shears or hand pruners to trim off a 1/2-inch to 1-inch diameter branch.The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.

Pasadena jacaranda trees