Streets of Purple

November 10, 2013

In late spring, something amazing happens in Joburg. All of the seemingly bare and twisty jacaranda trees bloom, and the streets are lined in beautiful bright purple trees. Jacarandas are not indigenous to South Africa; they were planted throughout the city over 100 years ago, and have formed an integral part of the city's identity. Interestingly, while a law was passed to allow the non-indiginous trees to stay, new trees are not allowed to be planted/imported. And so, when these ones are gone, so are the streets of purple. 

I may have had to scale a wall topped with an electric fence in order to take this photo (and the one before it), and the heavens may have also decided to lash back with a flash thunder storm at the exact moment I was standing on said wall...