Jacaranda is so well known to Australians and so well loved, that many of us think of them as a native. But the genus Jacaranda is actually native to South America, and the most common variety in Australia, Jacaranda mimosifolia, may be from an Argentine source.
As well as the annual Rotary Jacaranda Festival in Applecross, Jacaranda festivals are a highlight of the year in many towns across Australia, including in Grafton, Goodna, Camden, Woodville and Ipswich, to name a few.
Pretoria, South Africa’s capital, is renowned for them, as is Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. California, Texas, Florida, southern Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and India boast stunning populations of jacaranda, too.
(Notes from Dr Gregory Moore, University of Melbourne)