Jacaranda Flowers

Are you familiar with jacaranda, a member of the Bignoniaceae family native to South America?
As shown in the photos, it produces clusters of purple flowers like bunches of grapes, and the contrast of green leaves and purple blooms makes it a very beautiful deciduous tall tree.
In Atami City, you can find tall trees (towering overhead) and smaller shrubs (at eye level) along Route 135 (the Jacaranda Promenade in Tokaigancho to Shinshicho “Waterside Park” along the sidewalk, and inside Waterside Park).

Although jacaranda’s flowering season in Japan is said to be June, it is extremely rare for it to bloom outdoors on the mainland because of the climate. Some years in Atami saw no flowering at all, and some trees bloom a second time in September or October rather than only in June.
Even when they do bloom, not all trees flower; some years only a few trees bloom. Some trees produce many flowers, some only a single cluster, and some not at all.
How much will bloom this season?

※Bougainvillea along the Itagawa River also reaches its best viewing at the same time, so please visit both.

Main jacaranda planting locations and numbers
● Jacaranda Promenade (along Route 135, beside the sun deck) … one tall tree about 10 m, four trees 3–5 m, and 100 shrubs 1–2 m
● Along Route 135, downbound (from the Central Police Box to Waterside Park Section 2) … 20 trees 5–6 m
● Waterside Park Section 3 … one tall tree of about 2 m near the pedestrian bridge, and five shrubs on the Wada River slope
Total above: 25 tall trees (non-shrub) and 105 shrubs

History
・In July 1990, one tree was planted in Omiya Green Space to commemorate the sister-city partnership with Cascais, Portugal
・In 2000, 24 trees were planted along the national highway (diagonally in front of the Central Police Box to in front of the Waterside Park event plaza)
(Since then, some have been transplanted and others newly planted.)
・In April 2013, trees were planted in Waterside Park Section 2 (in front of the Tourist Association) and Section 3 (three trees in Section 2 and two in Section 3)
・On June 1, 2013, the “Jacaranda Promenade” was completed in Omiya Green Space (45 young trees planted)
・From September 2013 to June 2014, Omiya Green Space (west side) was developed (planting), and a few trees were transplanted from along the national highway
・June 2014, completion of the “Jacaranda Promenade”

Address / Tokaigancho to Nagisacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Phone / 0557-86-6218 (Atami City Park and Greenery Division)
Access / To the Jacaranda Promenade (Omiya no Matsu)
■ About a 20-minute walk from JR atami station
■ About a 5-minute bus ride from JR atami station toward Atami Port → get off at “Omiya no Matsu”
Parking / City-operated paid parking (East parking lot, Waterside Park, etc.) and others