Jacaranda hysteria is here

Just like London goes through wisteria hysteria during Spring, if you live in Johannesburg then you know that October is the perfect month to enjoy the jacarandas in bloom, and many of us dedicate a full day to going through the beautiful purple canopied streets each year.

First, a little bit of history: Johannesburg is the largest man-made urban forest with over 10 million trees, but jacarandas are not exactly native to South Africa, they arrived in the late 1800s from South America and were planted along almost every new street being built; they are now considered an invasive species and it has become illegal to plant them, but you should be able to admire them for some years still given they have a 200-year lifespan. You can enjoy them in bloom from early October for about four to six weeks usually.

My own love story with jacarandas started in the early 90s, when we travelled to Zimbabwe and were absolutely mesmerized by the purple lined streets in Harare, and my mother brought back a few seed pods (yes, that’s my family, gardening smugglers since the 1980s…) that have now become two glorious jacaranda trees in our Casablanca home.

In my opinion, the most beautiful neighbourhoods to see the blooming jacarandas are Greenside, Westcliff, Melville (where they often contrast with bright pink bougainvillea), Melrose,… although to be honest the trees are dotted pretty much everywhere in the city. If you want full tree-lined roads, the following streets are where you want to go: Kent and Hume Roads in Dunkeld (they run East to West so this is the place for sunrise and sunset photos), Jameson, Reform and Victoria Avenues in Melrose, Bristol, Wantage, Griswold and Rutland Roads in Parkwood, and of course 4th in Melville for the contrast of the bougainvillea and jacarandas.

A perfect viewing day would involve a drive out to Houghton Ridge, Greenside, a breakfast or lunch at the Westcliff (also known as the Four Seasons hotel, they have the best view in the city and the terrace really comes into its own during Spring, I prefer the breakfast, before it gets too busy), and a stroll around Emmarentia park to enjoy the colours. With a bit of time, maybe a couple of stops on the way back to capture the afternoon light around Dunkeld.

Whilst the Johannesburg purple haze is stunning, Pretoria is the real Jacaranda City of South Africa. The city is built in a valley between two hills, making it easy to find a high point to admire the beautiful pattern made by the streets: jacarandas represent almost 20% of all trees in Pretoria, so the show is something well worth the drive from Johannesburg. Also, you can enjoy blooming jacarandas almost two weeks earlier here, seeing as the city is a little warmer than Jozi, which might also be why the purple looks a little more vivid. I love driving around Brooklyn, the trees here are really old and form a canopy that covers most of the street. Don’t miss out driving up to Groenkloof, where you can look down on most of Pretoria but also drive to Herbert Baker street to see the famously rare white jacarandas…

The trees are looking splendid this year, although some seem to be blooming either a little late or not at all, maybe they are taking a year off (I also wish I had taken 2020 off at this point). That said, it’s still a sight to be in awe of. Before I go, let me tell you what my favourite time for a jacaranda stroll is: the morning after a thunderstorm, when the floor is lined with a magical purple carpet, then you can catch me dreaming… See you there?

With love, S.