Just as the fragile jacaranda flowers drop, so too does Johannesburg's water and electricity supply (Photo by Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu)
Mid-October marks the start of a very special season in Joburg and Pretoria, one that sees a profusion of purple along city streets. Jacaranda mimosifolia drape the lanes, roads and avenues of Gauteng in a colour spectacle that has become synonymous with spring on the Highveld. Quite a thing, when one considers that roughly 16% of the province is planted with the trees.
Jacarandas were first introduced to Pretoria in the late 19th century to liven up the streets. Afrikaans poet JD Celliers planted the first two saplings in 1888, along what is today Celliers Street — see if you can spot the plaque which commemorates this as you walk the street.
The trees came to Joburg around the turn of the 20th century, with the first believed to have been planted in Doornfontein in the inner city. Nurseryman William Nelson is credited with planting over 100km of trees along the streets of what is today Kensington.
In 2001, the iconic purple trees, which are imported from Brazil and not indigenous to South Africa, were declared a category three invader nationally, later to be upgraded to a category two. In 2014, the categorisation was amended and became applicable only to certain regions of South Africa, such as Mpumalanga. Today, jacarandas are not listed as an invasive species for urban areas in Gauteng, among other provinces.
Get clicking
To celebrate this supreme purple showcase, online city guide and Joburg champion Johannesburg In Your Pocket is once again running a photo competition to encourage readers to explore the province and capture the purple haze. The Instagram-based contest runs until 14 November, with happy snappers sharing their best jacaranda captures to their public Instagram feed, tagging #JacarandaInYourPocket2022 and #YourJourneyStartswithGautrain. Ten finalists will be selected and subject to a public vote, via the Johannesburg In Your Pocket Instagram account, which closes on 22 November. The announcement of the winner is scheduled for 24 November.
With close to R40 000 in prizes, you’ll want to ensure your phone is fully charged at all times and your shooting finger is ready to capture that winning shot. See all competition details and prizes here.
Curated events during jacaranda season
The folks at Johannesburg In Your Pocket have taken things a step further this year with a series of unique jacaranda experiences to complement the photo competition. Walks, led by local photographers (including this writer) and professional tour guides, will show you some of the best spots to take in, and photograph, the jacaranda spectacle.
This lineup sees city walks, social bike rides, a tour on the City Sightseeing Red Bus and even a Vespa ride through the blooms:
- Saturday 22 October, 7am to 9am Join me as I host a walk through Rosebank, sharing photography tips and showing you the best locations to take in the jacarandas, in association with Veldskoen shoes. I’m also giving away two pairs of purple vellies this week. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 22 October, 9.30am to 11.30am Enjoy a bicycle ride with Biking Bandits through Rosebank, Saxonwold and Houghton. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 22 October, 1.30pm – 4pm Jump aboard the City Sightseeing Bus with MicroAdventure Tours for a bloom-spotting experience through Rosebank, travelling via Munro Drive and The Playground in Braamfontein, ending at the Radisson RED Rosebank. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 29 October, 9am – 1pm Grab your helmet, fuel up your steed and join the guys from the Vesparados Joburg for a unique Vespa-inspired ride through the blooms. Pop me a DM here if you’re keen to join — numbers are limited.
- Saturday 29 October, 4pm – 6pm Join blogger and photographer Heather Mason from 2Summers for a walk through Rosebank. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 29 October, 4pm – 5.30pm Top up your water bottles and join MicroAdventure Tours for a cycling experience through Rosebank. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 5 November, 4pm – 6pm Join documentary photographer Andile Bhala for a photo walk through Rosebank. Secure your tickets here.
- Saturday 5 November, 4pm – 5.30pm Get on a bike with MicroAdventure Tours and explore Rosebank. Secure your tickets here.
Don’t forget Pretoria
Jacarandas abound in Pretoria too, and what better way to get yourself to the city to capture your winning shot, than via the Gautrain? Johannesburg In Your Pocket has teamed up with Gautrain to make accessing both cities a breeze. Perhaps this year’s winning photo competition shot will hail from the Jacaranda City itself.
Did you know
Jacarandas are fascinating trees but did you know these little-known facts about them?
- The name jacaranda is believed to mean “fragrant” and is derived from a native South American language.
- During the 1920s and 1930s, in South Africa, the trees only started to bloom in mid-November. With the onset of climate change, this date continues to move forward in what is termed a phenological shift, observed across a range of species globally. As temperatures continue to rise, the risk of heat stress to the trees is heightened and could, one day, mean purple spring seasons in Gauteng are consigned to the history books.
- Some species of jacaranda have white blooms. Although they are quite rare in South Africa, you can find some examples on Herbert Baker Street in Groenkloof, Pretoria.
- An urban legend has it that if a jacaranda bloom falls on the head of a university student during exam time, all subjects will be passed.
- In 2001, the local investigative journalism programme Carte Blanche aired a segment on the planned eradication of all jacaranda trees, due to their alien status. This caused outrage among South Africans, who later learned it was an elaborate April Fool’s joke.
See you on the streets this jacaranda season
Let the magic and wonder of the purple reign be your inspiration to get outside, enjoy the marvellous weather and explore your city. With curated events from Johannesburg In Your Pocket, all the planning has been done for you – simply book your tickets and arrive.
You’ll find me on the streets of Joburg, among the purple blooms, camera to hand. And a big smile on my face.