Throughout most of the year, a particular unassuming tree that has come to be recognised as a much-loved Sydney cultural phenomenon lies in plain sight, barely noticed among the increasingly dense tree canopy that has thankfully taken hold in recent years, particularly in Sydney’s east.

Rough-barked and not overwhelmingly appealing when not “in season”, jacaranda trees are dotted throughout the area, especially in harbourside pockets like Elizabeth Bay and Darling Point, across Woollahra and generally right across the eastern suburbs.

And whilst they’re barely noticed for much of the year, come spring, specifically from late October into November, they suddenly burst to life, their distinctive purple-blue flowers forming a dotted purple tapestry across the city.

Despite their close association with Sydney, jacarandas are actually native to South America, particularly Argentina and Bolivia. They were first introduced to Sydney in the early 1850s by a nurseryman named Thomas Shephard, who cultivated them at his Chippendale nursery. By 1857, jacarandas were growing in the Royal Botanic Garden, with their spectacular flowering attracting attention in the years that followed.

Their popularity grew during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with widespread planting in suburban streets and public spaces helping establish the beautiful displays we see today. One of Sydney’s most famous specimens was the jacaranda planted in the University of Sydney’s Quadrangle in 1928, its annual flowering becoming synonymous with the approach of university exams. The original tree collapsed in 2016, but a clone now grows in its place.

There is also, of course, a longstanding urban legend that a matron from a Sydney maternity hospital gave jacaranda seedlings to new mums upon the birth of their babies, thus helping them propagate across the city. Whilst the story is difficult to verify, it does serve to give an indication of just how strongly the species has become woven into the city’s story.

And as is the way of many things these days, influencers, online identities and even your average everyday punter have fallen in love with the phenomenon, flocking to streets where the blooms are at their thickest and most spectacular. McDougall St in Kirribilli is one of Sydney’s best-known spots, but across the east, from Oxford St near Victoria Barracks down to Beare Park on the harbour foreshore at Elizabeth Bay, it’s not hard to find a magnificent display, with splashes of purple brightening streets, parks and gardens throughout the area.

More than 170 years after their introduction to Sydney, jacarandas have become an enduring part of the city’s identity, their annual burst of purple a familiar and much-loved sign that summer is on its way. And for a few glorious weeks each year, these otherwise unassuming trees take centre stage, adding an extraordinary splash of colour to familiar streets and marking the passing of another year in the life of the city.

By Adam Gibson

Photo by Simone McAullay