BLUE TREES

The Jacaranda Tree in bloom.

The Jacaranda tree is a flowering tree native to tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, South America, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Bahamas.  It has recently become common in Africa and Australia. We call it the "blue tree."

The name Jacaranda means fragrant, and parts of the tree are used in dyeing and in medicine. The tree ranges in size from a shrub to 100 feet tall. Producing blue hanging flowers in May, the tree then has oval seed pods containing numerous slender seeds.

It's a delight in May to see the outline of a blue tree along the roads of southern Texas and in Mexico. The blue color is very delicate, a mixture of light blue and purple, and sometimes it only shows up in brilliant sunshine.  At other times when we see a blue tree in the distance, we've wondered if our eyes are deceiving us.  Could that be a blue tree?  Is there such a thing as a blue tree?

Mexico has trees of many colors.  On one of our trips into the interior of Mexico we counted the different colors of large trees.  There were red flowering trees, yellow, white, pink and many other exotic combinations.  In fact, the Poinsetta is a tree native to Mexico.  And it is a very dramatic and beautiful tree.

A Poinsetta tree in Mexico. Photo from file.

We enjoy the variety of trees and plants here on the Mexican border in south Texas. We're learning that what we see may seem unlikely and impossible, but God created a world that is very interesting and diverse. It's an enriching experience.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."  Genesis 1:1