When the middle of May arrives, Angelenos have quite the head-scratcher to ponder, and it is this: Is a tree lush with purple blossoms the most stunning sight ever? Or are fallen buds dotting an expanse of green grass even more spectacular, given the colorful contrast?
Questions, questions, but many Southern Californians would likely say that they'd gratefully take the annual jacaranda bloom however it arrives, up in the branches or down upon a lawn.
But jacarandans -- those are jacaranda fans, of course, which happen to be legion in our region -- will have a new way to experience the ephemeral bloom on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend: in an industrial setting.
The anonymous collective behind Petal Drop LA, the February 2016 event which saw showers of petals floating from a downtown building, is ready to stage Petal Drop LA (02). The location hasn't been revealed yet -- that will happen "at sunrise" on Sunday, May 29 via Twitter and Instagram -- but count on an "industrial site."
A site that will include "thousands of fallen blossoms from local jacaranda trees," blossoms that have been "collected, sorted, and processed."
To be clear, these purple gems will not be drifting down from some higher elevation location, as with Petal Drop LA (01). Rather, the collective describes the site of the May 29 happening as "a surreal factory" in which the blossoms are the star.
A factory that will vanish, like a strong wind clearing a tree full of soft petals, by noon.
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Intriguing, yes. A fine way to marry nature to art to performance, for sure. And a fresh way to honor what is, without quibble, the most eye-popping symbol of LA come May.
And that's saying something, in a month when May Grey gives the jacaranda a run for its intoxicatingly beautiful money.
The head-scratchers continue, though. Where will this industrial site be? How will the jacaranda blossoms be displayed? And is there anything in nature that's more mind-swirlingly purple than the flowers that visit us every fifth month of the year?
If you're up at sunrise on May 29, and fancy a flowery adventure, watch for a detailed tweet or Instagram post from @petaldropLA.
Or you can ring 323-905-4574. The current recorded message reveals no information as of yet, but it charms, so much so one might wonder if this whole art-fun plot was devised by a particularly entrepreneurial group of charming jacarandas.
