The flowering of purple ipê trees this winter appears more timid in São Paulo and Brasília, with less loaded canopies and some leaves still present. Researchers attribute the changes to the irregular rainfall regime in recent months.
In São Paulo and Brasília, the purple ipê-de-bola trees, scientifically known as Handroanthus impetiginosus, are flowering with a smaller quantity of flowers this year. Many trees retain part of their foliage, unlike the usual pattern of total leaf loss before intense flowering.
Botanist Ricardo Cardim observes that the ipês are flowering with leaves still in the canopy. He states that the species depends on a dry period to produce more intense blooms, and drought acts as stress that directs energy to the flowers.
Botanist Annelise Frazão, from UFPE, explains that flowering responds to the end of the rainy season. In the Southeast, the rainy period ends between March and April, influencing the species' calendar. She notes that more irregular rainfall regimes make the process less predictable.
Cardim also highlights the influence of the urban environment, with heat islands and soil sealing in São Paulo. The ipês serve as visible indicators of climate transformations.