Every spring, Gauteng turns purple.
For a few short weeks, suburban streets are transformed beneath flowering jacarandas, creating one of the most recognisable sights in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The trees feel so much a part of Gauteng that it is easy to assume they have always been here.
They haven't.
The jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) is actually native to South America, and its journey to becoming a Gauteng landmark is an interesting piece of our urban history.
How Pretoria Became the Jacaranda City
Pretoria's jacaranda story began in 1888, when two seedlings were planted at Myrtle Lodge in Sunnyside. They are regarded as the first recorded jacarandas planted in the city. The real transformation began in the early 1900s. In 1906, nurseryman James Clark donated 100 jacarandas to the Pretoria City Council. Soon afterwards, Pretoria's town engineer, Frank Walton Jameson, enthusiastically promoted planting them along the city's streets, earning himself the nickname "Jacaranda Jim." Thousands followed. Today, the University of Pretoria estimates that approximately 65,000 mature jacarandas grow across Pretoria and surrounding areas, helping earn it the famous title Jacaranda City.
Johannesburg Turns Purple
Johannesburg soon embraced the jacaranda too. The trees were planted extensively along streets and in gardens as the city's suburbs developed. Decades later, their huge canopies have become part of the character of many established neighbourhoods. Interestingly, the University of Pretoria suggests that Johannesburg may now have more jacarandas than Pretoria. For property owners, they are also a reminder that great neighbourhood landscaping takes time. A magnificent tree framing a house today may have been planted several generations ago.
Our Sign That Spring Has Arrived
Jacarandas lose their leaves during winter before bursting into colour as temperatures rise. Across Gauteng, flowering generally starts from late September into October. But they didn't always flower this early. Historical records indicate that Johannesburg's jacarandas commonly flowered in November 50 to 60 years ago. Today they tend to flower considerably earlier, with climate change considered one contributing factor. Our famous purple spring may therefore also be recording subtle changes in Gauteng's climate.
Aren't Jacarandas Invasive?
Yes, but there is an important distinction. Jacarandas are alien trees and can become invasive because their light, winged seeds allow them to spread beyond gardens into natural environments, where they may compete with indigenous vegetation. This has led to the commonly repeated statement that "it's illegal to plant a jacaranda in South Africa."
The reality is more nuanced.
Jacarandas are excluded from invasive-species listing within specified urban areas, allowing them to continue growing as ornamental garden and street trees. The concern is primarily their spread beyond these urban environments, particularly into natural areas, river systems and grasslands. For new gardens, it is nevertheless worth considering indigenous alternatives. South Africa has an extraordinary variety of beautiful trees that also provide habitat and food for local birds and insects.
A Part of Gauteng's Living History
The jacaranda presents an unusual contradiction. It isn't indigenous and can be invasive in the wrong environment, yet after more than a century it has become deeply woven into Gauteng's identity. The great jacarandas lining our older streets have watched suburbs grow, houses change hands and generations of families come and go. Then, every spring, they turn our streets purple again. Perhaps that is why we remain so attached to them. The jacaranda reminds us that the character of a neighbourhood isn't created only by its houses. Sometimes, it is growing on the pavement outside.
LWP Properties | Beyond the Sale
