While the city is known as a central urban hub, its huge number of trees means it is also considered the world’s biggest man-made forest.
The Jacaranda were introduced to Pretoria and later in Johannesburg in the early 1800s as ornamentals to help line the streets of the suburbs and central business districts.
Around 16% of the land in Johannesburg is planted with trees, making it one of the world’s largest and most densely vegetated man-made urban forests.
The Jacaranda trees are indigenous to South America with their history in South Africa being traced back to the early 1880s when they were imported from Argentina.
In fact, the city of Johannesburg is where the first Jacaranda tree was planted at Charlton Terrace in Doornfontein back in the early forties.
Since then, every October, the city of Johannesburg turns a bright shade of purple as some of these mesmerising trees come to life.
And when they do blossom, they create a dramatic change in the region’s urban landscape each year, so much so they’re often reported in the local media and more recently, on social media.
Jacaranda trees are capable of withstanding the test of time with a life expectancy of up to 200 years.
These exotic Jacarandas trees are a big part of Johannesburg but are classed as invasive species.
Due to this status, replanting of Jacarandas trees is currently prohibited.
Jacaranda trees not only produce purple blossoms with Herbert Baker Street in Pretoria being the only region where these stunning white blossoms are found.
Sadly, as temperatures continue to increase, a more general risk of heat stress is increasing for these trees.
The result means that the years of this purple blossom delight in Johannesburg could be limited.
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