Jacaranda Jaunt

Jacarandas, these gorgeous purple flowering trees, are not native to South Africa. Because they’re an invasive species, a law was passed that prohibits the planting of new trees. Luckily, the existing trees are safe and sound, and provide beautiful blossoms every year. During the season, which falls somewhere between October and early November, the Jacarandas go into full bloom, and the streets and horizons are dotted with clouds of purple that look phenomenal against the bright blue sky.

A lot of people find Jacarandas quite bothersome because they’re so messy. The flowers fall onto the ground and leave behind a slippery, purple mess when stepped on, they can stain your car, and they are also a huge attraction for bees. Maybe it’s because I’m not a homeowner or a longtime resident here, but I just can’t get enough of these purple blooms, which remind me of the cherry blossom season in Japan. In fact, these Jacarandas are so popular that there is apparently a market for tour packages for Japanese tourists who want to take in the beauty of this season.

The city of Pretoria (one of this country’s three capital cities) is most well-known for Jacarandas, and has been nicknamed The Jacaranda City, but I found these beauties on one of my runs around the neighborhood. Lucky me 🙂