As every November it's Jacaranda Season in Buenos Aires, and the city gets painted one more time in lavender blue. These beautiful trees can be found all over the city, making this the most beautiful time of the year to visit Buenos Aires and admire this wonderful spectacle of nature.
The first specimen of Jacaranda, a tree original from the North-west of Argentina, was planted in Buenos Aires in 1875 with the inauguration of the 3 de Febrero Park, and since then it has been spread all over the city for its ornamental value in the different plantation programs.
Some of the most beautiful specimens of Jacaranda trees can be admired in Plaza San Martin; along Avenida Figueroa Alcorta; Avenida Libertador near Plaza Francia (Recoleta); Plaza Italia; Plaza Alemania; Plaza de Mayo, Plaza Congreso, Palermo Parks, the Rose Garden, and many streets, avenues and parks across the city.
For those who are not lucky enough to witness this amazing touch of nature first hand, worry not, here we have photos, and information about these beautiful trees.
This tree, whose Latin name is Jacaranda Mimosifolia, is an exotic tree typical to the subtropical region. The flowers hanging from the tree can grow as big as 1.5 in, and the bunches up to 11.8 in. This plant, which is indigenous to South America, offers a great spectacle with its amazing color! The word Jacaranda stems from Guarani language and means 'fragrant.' The hotter the weather is, the more this tree blossoms and its most active (and beautiful) period is around October and November.
Jacarandas are pretty common in some regions of South America, Australia, and South Africa. These trees are especially widespread in Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa, as well as several cities in Europe. In Queensland, Australia, there is an expression 'purple panic,' which is used to describe the stress students are under between the end of spring and beginning of summer. The 'purple' in this expression comes from the Jacarandas, which blossom during the finals. This is why this tree is also known as the "exam tree." The city, Pretoria, in South Africa, is also called 'Jacaranda City' or Jakarandastad. The Australian Christmas carol 'Christmas Where The Gum Trees Grow' follows: 'When the bloom of the Jacaranda tree is here, Christmas time is near."
This feast in Buenos Aires won't take long and the leaves of this amazing tree will turn yellow and fall in a couple of months. And it is also believed that if a purple Jacaranda flower falls on your head, it will bring you luck.