Many places in Sydney are being coloured in purple-blue nowadays: it is the flowering season of the beautiful Jacaranda tree. First of all, I have to tell you a short story about me and my relationship with plants. I never felt this kind of enthusiasm about flowers, trees and other plants before. But the truth is, that this all started here in Australia. The whole year long, flowering bushes and trees make you just a bit happier when you are passing them on the street. You can not miss them if you are walking in the city. I have sent a lot of letters and pictures - many about flowers - to my family in the past few months, telling them, that the nature here is absolutely stunning and lovely. At a certain point one of my dear aunties reminded me smiling of that day (this happened a few years ago), when they were talking between each other about the flowers- growing in their gardens-, and suddenly I was wondering loudly and ironically, whether I would be interested in flowers as well in a few years time …

But let us go back to the jacaranda tree. I can say, it is one of my favorite trees here in Australia, because of its castanets-shaped fruits hanging on the branches through the whole year. But the name of this tree has been unknown for us until these days, when it started flowering so purple, so brightly, that we got curious and looked after this tree on internet.

You can find Jacarandas in tropical areas, especially in South and Central America, in India, Africa, etc. Here in Australia -according to Wikipedia - Brisbane  is very famous because of its purple avenues, as well as Grafton because of its Jacaranda Festival held in every October.

The students at Sydney University know the saying: “by the time the jacaranda in the main quadrangle flowers, it’s too late to start studying for exams”. By the way, the tree is also known as `exam tree`. If a flower falls onto your head, it apparently means, that you have failed your exam, unless you catch a falling bloom before it reaches the ground.

Finally, there is an other Australian expression as well, which says: “When the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here, Christmas time is near”.

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