Jacaranda

This is a Jacaranda Tree. The word Jacaranda brings up images in my mind of Star Wars (Chewbacca, Jabba or Watto). If you're not familiar with this beautiful tree that blooms in late spring, do yourself a favor and do an image search of this tree. There are great pics online. Here's a link to the Jacaranda Tree if you care to take a look now but please come back to finish this article.

This is a pic of just one of many Jacaranda Trees in my neighborhood

The first time I saw a Jacaranda Tree was on Maui, Hawaii. I was on my way back down from watching the sunrise at the top of Mount Haleakala and there it was. If I didn't see it with my own eyes I would have guessed that someone was pulling my leg, photoshopping some sink flower arrangement into a countryside pic. It was breathtaking then and I still feel the same way about them now. 

It was in the mid-70's when I saw my first blooming Jacaranda Tree. The next time would be about 30 years later in San Diego. I don't know how these beautiful trees hid themselves out of my view all these years but they did. "Jacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central America, South America, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Bahamas. It has been planted widely in Asia, especially in Nepal. It is also quite common in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia. It has been introduced to most tropical and subtropical regions. The genus name is also used as the common name." 

Here are more pics from Pinterest of the Jacaranda Tree. 

The Jacaranda Tree blooms in late Spring in San Diego but you will be amazed, the first Winter you spend in San Diego, at just how many flowers brighten the landscape in and around San Diego in the Winter. When I first moved here people would tell me just how different San Diego was than areas just North of here and I found it difficult to believe, but it's true. The climate in San Diego is unique. 

I was in San Diego for a couple years before I saw my first Jacaranda Tree. I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying attention or perhaps I just didn't drive through those neighborhood where they donned their beautiful blooms. Never-the-less, I did eventually find them or they found me and every year that I am in San Diego is a new adventure, where I find new sights to satisfy my visual senses. You will too, when you RetireInSanDiego.