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Jacarandas add shades of purple to Fallbrook's landscape

With little rain this year, wild flowers in Fallbrook have been rare sightings. Without my favorite one, the California poppy, to look for, any hint of a bright color, among the many shades of green populating Fallbrook, is a welcome sight.

As in many warm-weather places, the first blooming of the jacarandas indicated that summer was almost here, the lavender flowers appearing the end of May. While they are not native to San Diego County, jacarandas are a good match for Fallbrook as they are not only drought tolerant but bloom more heavily during droughts.

The jacaranda is so popular it was designated San Diego's official (non-native) tree in 2000. They can be found all over San Diego, especially in Balboa Park.

The bright purple blossoms are now drooping with the hotter weather this July but can still be seen among all the greenery along both South and East Mission roads from one end of town to the other, as well as up and down Fallbrook Street and many nearby side roads. Their feathery leaves are as delicate as their trumpet-like flowers.

Jackie Heyneman remembers when she helped plant many of those trees, in 1997, right after Save Our Forest was founded here in Fallbrook. Besides giving shade, they add color to the landscape and are included in Fallbrook's landscape design standards.

According to local tree expert Roger Boddaert, the jacaranda's native habitat is Brazil, but it grows throughout South America. There are more than 40 different species of jacaranda and, he added, a few species are fragrant as well as pretty.

Boddaert, an ISA certified arborist, has seen and planted many kinds of jacarandas. Most of the local ones are classified as jacaranda mimosifolia in the bignoniaceae family, he said. They are partially deciduous with moderate growth rates and an open, rounded head of a canopy that grows to about 30' to 40' high.

He also said "jacarandas can be grown as a single trunk or a multi-trunk specimen with the interesting trunk structure. The proper pruning of these trees can show off its internal trunk structure which can be a sculptural centerpiece out in the garden to enjoy."

Boddaert said that the jacaranda's foliage drops from February through March when it starts its new leaves for the summer's shade.

He advised that when placing jacarandas into a garden, "you must beware of its leaves and falling flowers" and not plant them around pools or hardscapes where they can make a mess. The trees also produce oval shaped seed pods that hold papery winged seeds which he said germinate very easily if planted.

Boddaert also said that in South America the jacaranda tree is highly desirable for its grained wood and used in guitar making and "fine wood craftsmen doing cabinetry also seek out milled jacaranda planks."

While many people don't care for the mess jacarandas leave on the ground, the rest of us enjoy their beautiful display of both flowers and leaves for as long as they last.

 

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