The Most Hated Trees in Alicante Make a Comeback

Every spring, a moment dreaded by many residents of Alicante arrives. The jacarandas burst into purple bloom, creating a picturesque scene for a few days until the dream turns into a nightmare.

The purple flowers of this tropical tree bring other issues, a small plague almost invisible to the human eye. In Alicante, this species suffers from an aphid infestation that annually ignites social media with complaints from citizens and drivers. The resin left behind stains cars and streets, turns sidewalks sticky, and makes the city's green lungs impassable.

Jacaranda trees are planted in various areas of Alicante, from Florida to Santa Faz and La Torreta. Each year, they pose the same problem, not just the mess created by their abundant flowers, but also the sticky resin left by the aphids.

Every year, the Alicante City Council strengthens the treatment of these species to prevent the inconvenience caused by aphids. Municipal sources assure that soapy water is applied in the spring months to prevent the insect that produces the honeydew from settling on the tree and thus curb its proliferation.

Releasing ladybugs is also a common method to control this pest. This species is predatory and helps limit the proliferation of these insects on these and other trees. This charming insect, a favourite among children, can eat its own weight in aphids daily, helping to eliminate them without using insecticides or pesticides that cannot be used.

In addition to other options such as pruning interventions at the right time for these specimens, which also help prevent excessive flowering of these trees.

Residents of Alicante, faced with cars covered in aphids in the morning or unusable benches, have grown to dislike jacarandas. In fact, the inconvenience they cause has led the council to stop using them for new streets. The trend is declining as they are also replaced by other species in areas being redeveloped.