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It's that time of the year, when LA glows in purple
A jacaranda at the LA Arboretum
(
Katherine Garrova
)
It’s that time of year again when the greater L.A. area gets a beautiful pop of purple color.
The jacaranda, a tree native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Argentina and Brazil, will bloom for about the next two months.
You can find some prime examples at the L.A. County Arboretum. That’s where Frank McDonough has been a botanist for nearly three decades.
"They make great photographs. I could sit here all day, seriously, and get different angles on the randomness of these beautiful blooms that are on the ground. And get some pretty cool pictures,” McDonough said.
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Jacaranda blooms
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Katherine Garrova
)
If you can’t make it out to the Arboretum, you’re likely to come across the purple carpet somewhere else without even trying.
Last year, a local data graphics editor even put together an interactive map so you can find the purple hot spots.
Jacarandas were brought to Southern California in the late 19th century and proliferated thanks to a local horticulturist named Kate Sessions.
Other gorgeous summer bloomers
But there are some OG California trees putting on a show this late spring and into summer too, if you know where to look.
One of McDonough’s favorites is the California buckeye, which has lively pinkish white blooms.
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California buckeye blooms
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Katherine Garrova
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“They’re highly underused,” McDonough told LAist. “Just a beautiful flowering California native. You’ll see this up on the foothills of the Sierras. Just a gorgeous, gorgeous tree. And it really performs well here every year.”
There aren’t a whole lot of California buckeyes in SoCal, McDonough said, so for a peek of the trees in full bloom, head over to the Arboretum.
Palo verde blooms
(
Katherine Garrova
)
Another early summer bloomer McDonough points to is the palo verde, a variant of which is becoming more popular in non-coastal yards thanks to its beautiful yellow blooms and drought tolerance.
So this summer, indulge in all the purple blooms you want, and maybe some yellow and white ones, too.
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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