"Johannesburg, known to locals simply as Joburg, has long been dubbed Egoli, which means "the city of gold" in Zulu. The moniker comes from the gold mines that made it the wealthiest metropolis in Africa. But in spring, in October, the avenues turn purple and the city of gold becomes the city of amethyst. You walk in a sea of violet blooms that cover the sidewalks, and the canopy of tree branches above is a purple haze."
"Jacarandas, as synonymous to Joburg as cherry blossoms to Japan, are actually an import, bought to South Africa from Brazil in the 19th century. There are an estimated 50,000 jacarandas some as old as 100 across the city. (Joburg is often called one of the world's largest urban forests, so there are plenty of other plants like the huge pink bougainvillea you see here across from the jacarandas)."
"The flowers evoked my youth in neighboring Zimbabwe, where they also grow prolifically. Since leaving Zimbabwe at age 17, I'd become something of a nomad, living in Asia, Australia and Europe, and didn't really consider myself any particular nationality. When I arrived in democratic South Africa, among the jacaranda trees of my childhood, for the first time in a long time I felt a sense of home."
Johannesburg, locally called Joburg and long dubbed Egoli ('the city of gold' in Zulu), earned its name from gold mines that built Africa's wealthiest metropolis. Each October jacaranda trees bloom citywide, turning avenues and canopies into waves of violet and lending the city the nickname 'city of amethyst.' The trees arrived from Brazil in the 19th century; there are an estimated 50,000 jacarandas, some approaching a century old. Joburg functions as one of the world's largest urban forests, filled with other plants like large pink bougainvillea. The jacarandas can evoke powerful personal memories and a renewed sense of home.
Read at www.npr.org
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