On Fri, Nov 1, 2024, Appleyard took to the air at 10:00 from Lanseria Airport with pilot Carl Nicholl to explore the profusion of purple from above. Joburg has an estimated 70,000 jacaranda trees, while Pretoria is said to have about 65,000. Pretoria long ago took the name "Jacaranda City" because of the greater density of the trees in the city and surrounding suburbs.
The trees were introduced to Pretoria first, and then to Johannesburg sometime in the 1800s. Jacarandas were brought to South Africa from South America and planted to ornamentally line the streets. Today, however, it is illegal to plant more jacarandas, as they are classified as alien plants that are far from being water-wise, so they are harmful to the environment and surrounding species. That said, they are an important part of our cities' heritage and each year we celebrate them for their short-lived spectacular beauty from mid-October to the start of November.
For 2025, Johannesburg in Your Pocket is planning to work on a campaign around sustainability and to look at how we can offset our love of these trees by encouraging responsible planting of indigenous trees, specifically in neighbourhoods that are tree-poor in Johannesburg – one of the world's most tree-rich cities.
Back to our eye in the sky.
"It's hard to avoid the cliches," says Appleyard, "but it was pretty jaw-dropping. Seeing them from that angle... it has this patchwork effect. It almost looks like areas of Joburg are woven together with these trees, with leading lines that are so pleasing to a photographer."
On the day, says Appleyard, "the light was challenging as the sky was really hazy. There wasn't a cloud to be seen. The temperature was around 21 degrees [celsius]. The challenge in photographing this was to eliminate the sky in my photography and to focus on the trees."
The route was chosen for its dense concentration of jacarandas. "We spent about an hour in the air. From Lanseria, we headed towards Sandton, and then over Rosebank and circled the surrounding suburbs, making a few loops over the area from Bolton Road, which separates Parkwood from Rosebank, up to the war museum (South African National Museum of Military History). Then we were off to Houghton and over to the Houghton Golf Club and The Houghton Hotel. From there, we flew over Melrose, which was super impressive. We flew back over Bryanston, where the trees start to scatter and then peter out."
Apart from the vivid purple of jacaranda trees in bloom, what was most notable from the air, says Appleyard, was the incredible pops of colour from ubiquitous bougainvillea and the enormous number of solar panels on rooftops.
"It was a great experience, and highly recommended," says Appleyard.
For 2025, Johannesburg In Your Pocket is in discussion to partner with Bastion Aviation to offer helicopter flips to see the trees as part of our experience series – to date we have taken people walking, cycling, and driving on an open-top bus to see the jacarandas.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram, and sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay informed. In the meantime, for those planning to explore next year's season on foot, find out where to locate Joburg and Pretoria's best jacaranda streets and views.
To see the video of Appleyard's journey, head over to our Instagram page.
Now for the photos. If you love taking a stroll under the beautiful jacaranda trees, buckle up, because they're even more magnificent from the sky.
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