As happens every spring, Mexico City is turning a delightful purple, as the capital’s jacaranda trees reach their peak bloom.
The first shoots appeared in the last weeks of February, and the trees’ branches, now laden with purple flowers, can be seen until well into April — sometimes even into early May.
Although you can catch a glimpse of this spring phenomenon from practically anywhere in town, Mexico City has some insider spots that you simply cannot miss this year. Here’s Mexico News Daily’s digest of the key spots to enjoy the 2026 jacaranda season in Mexico City.
Who brought jacarandas to Mexico?
Jacaranda trees are not native to Mexico, but to South America. Jacaranda mimosifolia likely first arrived in Mexico toward the end of the 19th century through trade between the two countries. However, it wasn’t until after the Mexican Revolution at the turn of the 20th century that the tree became fashionable. And that change can be pretty much attributed to one man, who wasn’t native to Mexico either.
In the 1920s, landscape architect and former Japanese royal gardener Sashiro Matsumoto — who had first been brought to Mexico years before by Mexican businessman José de Landero to create a Japanese garden at his hacienda in Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo — caught the eye of then Mexican president Álvaro Obregón.
The master gardener had already distinguished himself to the Mexican government in the position of gardener to Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle during the rehabilitation and reforestation of Chapultepec Forest. Obregón asked Matsumoto and his team to decorate the main avenues of the capital.
Then, a decade later, president Pascual Ortiz Rubio asked Matsumoto to plant Japanese cherry trees on Mexico City’s streets, after having seen them on a visit to Washington, D.C. Matsumoto warned him that due to Mexico’s warmer climate, the trees wouldn’t bloom. Instead, he proposed the jacaranda. Ever since, jacaranda season in Mexico City spans from late February to early May.
Key places to enjoy the jacaranda super bloom
So, where are the key points to enjoy Matsumoto’s purple legacy? Read on to find out where to watch the jacaranda superbloom this year.
Cafetería Finca Don Porfirio
This Mexican cafe is just in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City’s Historic Center. Look for the La Nacional Building (a.k.a the Sears Building), famously designed by architect Manuel Ortiz Monasterio, and go up to the eighth floor. The elevator takes you directly to the coffee shop, which also has a truly fantastic chocolate cake.
Do not hesitate to visit the coffee shop’s terrace, where you’ll find one of the most wonderful views of Bellas Artes and of Alameda Central. If you look to the left, the birds-eye view of the jacaranda trees in bloom will take your breath away.
Where: Av. Juárez 14, Centro, Cuauhtémoc
Hemiciclo a Juárez
Inaugurated in September 1910, the Hemiciclo a Juárez is never more beautiful than during spring, when the monument’s golden laurels are nothing compared to the wreath of jacarandas that adorns Benito Juárez’s sculpture.
To see the flowers in all their glory here, arrive early, before noon, if possible — the dry season in the capital makes the sun unbearable afterward. As a bonus, you’ll be able to walk across Alameda Central with total ease — and breakfast at nearby Café Tacuba.
Where: Avenida Juárez 50, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc
Kiosko Morisco
I doubt José Ramón Ibarrola, the Mexican engineer who designed the domed, Moorish-style gazebo at Alameda de Santa María la Ribera park, imagined that his creation would become a perfect spot to watch the jacarandas bloom. But his Kiosko Morisco is the neighborhood’s pride and joy, particularly when the purple flowers carpet the park’s cobblestone walkways.
I suggest arriving here around 6 p.m., once the heat of the day has ended and you can watch the sunset backlight the kiosk.
Where: Jaime Torres Bodet 152, Santa María la Ribera, Cuauhtémoc
The Open Gallery at Chapultepec Forest
Inaugurated in 2002, the Open Gallery of the Chapultepec Forest Fences — located along Paseo de la Reforma on fences that enclose Chapultepec Forest — is a permanent public gallery designed to bring art to the masses. World-renowned photographers such as Levon Biss have exhibited their work there.
In addition to being a free, open-air space, it also boasts one of Mexico City’s main jacaranda hotspots, hidden in plain sight. You can see the trees in bloom at any time of day, as the shade they provide prevents the sun from becoming too intense.
Where: Av. Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi S/N, Chapultepec Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo.
Ciudad Universitaria
Near the National Autonomous University (UNAM)’s Rector’s Building, in what’s colloquially known as the “Garden of Eden,” UNAM boasts expansive green spaces that are perfect for a picnic while admiring the jacaranda trees on the main campus. There’s an even better option here, though: Nowhere else in the world can you find a mural by Juan O’Gorman framed by branches overflowing with tiny purple blossoms.
Give it a try this year!
Where: Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán
Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
