Forget the June Gloom - It's Jacaranda Time

June 11, 2009

The past several days, the Inland Empire has been experiencing June Gloom in a big way. Gray with morning drizzle is the weather report. However, we are so fortunate that late May and early June is the season for the Jacaranda tree. Growing up in the Midwest, I had never seen such a showy tree. Its lavender blossoms are truly spectacular and brighten up the landscape. According to Wikipedia, the jacaranda is a native of South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and India. Just as this tree has become popular in Southern California, it has also been transplanted to South Africa where Pretoria is popularly known as the Jacaranda City.

I posted a few pictures to celebrate the coming of the summer season and this wonderfully colorful tree. We may not be the Jacaranda Empire, but we certainly have our share of these unusual trees. Forget the doom and gloom and celebrate our colorful landscape.