Cooler spring temperatures in Rio have delayed the color change of sabucaya plants in Quinta da Boa Vista

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The reason the sabucaya colors are taking so long to appear in the city can be attributed to climate change and, in particular, to the influence of La Niña, a phenomenon that makes the waters of the Pacific Ocean cooler and which, in the case of Rio de Janeiro, has made temperatures more moderate just over a month before summer arrives (December 21).

— Sabucaya plants usually bloom when temperatures exceed 28 degrees Celsius. Because average temperatures are more moderate, this has delayed the birth of branches and leaves, explains botanist Marcos Alberto Nadroz Coelho, coordinator of living collections at the Rio Botanical Garden.

In Quinta da Boa Vista, the Alley of Sabucayas that gives access to the palace housing the National Museum was influenced by Dom Pedro II. Hired by the Emperor to renovate the space, French landscaper Auguste François Marie Glazio initially considered a winding path, but Dom Pedro II disagreed. Finally, Glazio ended up choosing a straight road, bordered by the Sabukaya.

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The place, which was the residence of the Brazilian emperors from 1822 to 1889, after the renovation carried out by Glazio, also acquired other decorations, such as lakes, waterfalls, caves and artificial rocks.

With the scientific name Lecythis pisonés, the sapocaea is a specimen found in the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon Forest. In addition to the trees in the Botanical Garden and Quinta da Boa Vista, at least 40 other units have been mapped in the city’s forests.

Marcos Coelho says that an adult sabucaya plant can reach a height of 25 to 28 meters, and is long-lived, in addition to that it does not need a lot of water to sustain itself. There are reports of specimens that lived up to 800 years. For example, the ones in the Botanical Garden were planted about 200 years ago.

It also draws attention to its fruit, as the tree belongs to the same family as the Brazilian chestnut tree. The seeds are located inside the fruit with a very hard shell that resembles a covered jar, a kind of bowl. These seeds are present in the diet of many monkeys.