Jacarandas Trees

Les arbres Jacaranda: la beauté exotique du Zimbabwe ....

Jacaranda Trees: Zimbabwe’s Exotic Beauty

It was once said that even though Brazilians didn’t invent football they are the best at it. The same can be said of the beautiful jacaranda tree, even though it is originally from Brazil, Zimbabwe does it best. Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, is painted purple when the tree is in bloom from August to November. Its gift is the unique natural beauty it brings to the city, its curse, the dangers of the tree’s short lifespan and the pollen allergies that can plague people.

In 1899, six jacaranda mimosifolia seedlings are believed to have been brought into Zimbabwe (previously known as Rhodesia) from another jacaranda haven, Cape Town. With the support of the minority rule government’s work programme, the Jacaranda was extensively planted in the country, particularly in Harare, the capital. Jacarandas were planted in Harare Gardens, one of Zimbabwe’s largest urban parks, in the shape of the British Union Jack flag. The trees quickly spread their beauty across the city.

“Jacarandas are one of Harare’s treasures, painting the city purple and giving the city an urban woodland feel. The reason why the jacaranda trees have survived this long is because they don’t produce fruit, they disperse pods after they bloom and this protects them from the damage involved in harvesting fruit. The second reason is that jacarandas trees don’t make the best firewood, so this protects them from being felled. This said, it doesn’t mean they are not under threat,” explained Forester Alois Mabutho.

“The Rhodesians who planted them knew their beauty and were doing it for future generations. They were definitely way ahead of their time, planting flamboyant trees next to the jacarandas. There is nowhere else on the continent where you see these beauties laid out like this. There is a need for urban renewal not only to preserve but to also plant more trees for future generations,” he continued.

Harare city council had plans to replace the exotic trees because of their short lifespan--they are a potential hazard to the public when they fall. Electricity and telephone lines get entangled in the trees and since trees are planted along the road when they fall, they block the road. Due to the country’s economic hardship, removing jacarandas are at the bottom of the list for local authorities, which are currently struggling with problems in delivering water supply and the cholera outbreak.

Another downside to the popular jacaranda is that some people are allergic to its pollen, which can cause headaches, sneezing, itchy eyes and influenza-like symptoms. Those who are allergic have to endure three months of discomfort whilst the jacaranda is in bloom.

“Jacarandas do look nice but I’m allergic to the pollen, more so when they are practically everywhere in the suburb I live in. I usually stock up on antihistamines when the dreaded flowering season starts. The pollen makes me sneeze continually and my eyes itch really bad, but when I see that purple splendour it’s worth it,” says Jennifer Murwira, a resident in Harare’s Mabelreign suburb. Thousands of people are affected by the pollen during bloom.

As the jacaranda season winds up, another tree species, the flamboyant tree, which was planted alongside the jacaranda during the urban rejuvenation of the 1950s, starts to bloom. Many mistake flamboyants for jacarandas. So Harare turns from the jacaranda purple/lilac to the flamboyant orange.

The cherry blossoms that have made Washington, D.C.even more of a tourist hotspot have finally met their West Coast counterpart—purple jacaranda mimosifolia trees. They've just started to bloom in Southern California, and the spectacular sight will give you flower fever. Jacaranda trees aren't native to the U.S.—they more than likely were exported from Brazil, South Africa, and Argentina by horticulturalists because of their beautiful color, which is just starting to show for the summer.