Jacaranda in bloom12/9/2023 ![]() ![]() These trees contribute to multiple services for instance fodder, timber, medicines, fruits, shade and ornaments. The objective is to reduce the impact of invasive alien trees on water resources.Īll over the world, trees and plants are introduced for various purposes. These programmes aim at the sustainable management of natural resources through the control and management of alien invasive plants, by removing the species and thereby bringing employment to the youth, as part of the expanded Public Works Programme. Meanwhile, programmes to address the social economic problems in communities were linked to alien species like the Jacaranda. The Jacaranda tree is an example of this contradiction.Īpart from being beautiful ornamental trees, the Jacarandas' wood is used for furniture and other crafts. The dilemma of keeping the City green with trees and balancing the water ecosystems with the proper tree planting is a challenge that must be tackled through a multi-inter and trans-disciplinary approach to sustainable development. In the meantime, SDG goal 11 promotes sustainable cities and communities. The sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Water scarcity is the most alarming problem of the twentieth century next to climate change in conservation. For this reason, the Jacaranda tree is no longer allowed to be planted in Pretoria. Jacaranda blossoms are stunningly beautiful, but hidden underneath is the contradiction of the tree being an alien species that prevents indigenous trees from growing. The images portray the beauty and elegance of the tree that perhaps is draining the native ecosystem, which not to many are aware of. When they flower, they paint the whole City purple and it is spectacular to witness. In Pretoria, City of Tshwane, Gauteng province, the Jacaranda trees are enormous and line the pavement of the streets and inhabit roadsides, as evident in the images above. However, in other parts of Africa such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, the species is also present without being considered invasive yet. In South Africa, it is labelled as preventing growth of native species. The tree is regarded as an invasive species in South Africa and Australia. Its origin is reported to be South America, particularly Argentina and /or Brazil because of the name’s Guarani origin in Argentina. To the conservationists, this deciduous beauty is an invasive species. They disseminate via wind dispersal to the savannah, woodlands, rocky ridges, riverbanks and all sorts of habitats. The seeds, on the other hand, are enclosed in a brown, oval and flat capsule, which bursts open when dry, releasing flat winged seeds. Therefore, students wish for on eof the soft blossoms to drop one of its tubular flowers on their heads as they pass under this magical tree. Legend has it that when a flower from the Jacaranda tree drops on top of your head, you would pass all of your exams. Its beautiful flowers are characteristic of the springtime in Pretoria, City of Tshwane, Gauteng Province, where it fascinates the residents by putting a light purple carpet all over the roads.Īlthough the purple flowers remind the University students of the exams that take place around that time of the year, the elegant beauty of the Jacaranda flowers calms down the souls of many residents. In Pretoria, the Jacaranda was first introduced in Arcadia in 1888. Known for its alluring lilac blossoms, the Jacaranda tree ( Jacaranda mimosifolia) is native to South America and was introduced for decorative purposes way back in the 1800s to South Africa. For this reason, Pretoria is called the Jacaranda city. The Jacaranda in Pretoria flowers between September to November with purple flowers that paint the whole City purple. The fruit is oval flattened capsule containing numerous seeds. ![]() ![]() The leaves are bipinnate produced in conspicuous large panicles, each flower with a five-lobed purple corolla. The image shows the deciduous large Jacaranda tree that grows up to 20-30 m high. ![]()
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