Is it too late to save the semester? Jacarandas paint Tshwane’s streets in purple

Iconic blossoms return to Jacaranda City, symbolising spring’s arrival and the final stretch of the year

Mapaballo Borotho

Is it too late to save the semester? Jacarandas paint Tshwane’s streets in purple — Image @University of Pretoria

Jacaranda trees have already started painting the streets of the City of Tshwane in shades of purple, reminding us that spring is here and that the year is rapidly coming to an end.

For many students, this spectacular bloom is more than just a seasonal shift; it’s a wake-up call and a hopeful reminder that there’s still time to save the semester and push through to the next chapter of their academic journey.

Dubbed Jacaranda City, Tshwane is famous for these beautiful purple trees, adored by locals and celebrated as one of the city’s most recognisable symbols.

These purple-with-a-dash-of-white trees trace their roots back to Brazil and have flourished in South Africa for more than a century.

The first jacaranda trees were imported to the Cape in the early 1800s and later brought in through Durban, home to the country’s oldest living jacarandas.

The second-oldest trees, two of which still stand proudly in Sunnyside, Pretoria, were planted in the 1880s. When the Union Buildings were being constructed, there was a determined effort to plant even more jacarandas. The Pretoria Council even offered free trees to residents who had to remove existing ones during the installation of new sewerage systems.

One of South Africa’s top universities, the University of Pretoria, is also home to more than 200 jacaranda trees, creating a breathtaking backdrop for students during exam season.

Unlike many other trees, jacarandas are highly seasonal, shedding their leaves in winter and bursting into full bloom in spring. However, climate change has shifted their flowering season significantly. The trees now bloom in October, more than a month earlier than they did 50 years ago.

As their blossoms carpet the streets of Tshwane, jacarandas remind us not only of the beauty of nature but also of the passing of time and the chance to make the most of what’s left of the year.