[Curiosities] CURIOSITIES ABOUT SEVILLE: DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A JACARANDA THAT IS NOT PURPLE?

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The avenues, tree-lined avenues and parks of Seville have been invaded by the color of the jacarandas in bloom, a true spectacle to behold.

Spring has exploded in Seville, because although it is an excessive verb, everything at this time in the Seville capital is. The city explodes with light, color and smells in a particular way, making Sevillians and visitors fall in love with it. After the celebrations of the two big festivals in Seville, the citizens will once again walk its streets calmly and quietly and will have noticed to their surprise that certain enclaves are dyed purple. The avenues, tree lined avenues and parks have been invaded by the color of the jacarandas in bloom, a true spectacle to behold.

The flowering of the jacaranda, which occurs twice a year in autumn and spring, leaves beautiful prints in Seville. The jacaranda is, together with the bitter orange tree, the species that distinguishes and most singularises the tree heritage of the city. In addition, its flower has an unmistakable violet-blue color.

This is a typical tree of intertropical and subtropical America and is also known as 'jacaranda', 'jacaranda', 'gualanday' or 'tarco'. In particular, 'Jacarandá' is a name of Tupi origin (region close to the Amazon jungle) which means fragrant. It is distributed in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and also in the north and northeast of Argentina. In addition, it is one of the distinctive indigenous trees of the Argentine city of Buenos Aires, although it is not an autochthonous tree species.

The flowering of the jacaranda occurs twice a year in autumn and spring ABC
Every year around this time, the writer and journalist Antonio Burgos dedicates one of his articles to this spectacular flowering that goes hand in hand with many of the city's traditions: «The joyful news is that, as a surprise, just like every year, the jacarandas are already in bloom. They announce a secret city of processions of His Divine Majesty organized by the sacramentals of the neighborhoods; of novenas del Rocío with the rocketry that we listened to yesterday; preparations for Corpus Christi, with the candlesticks already in place in the Plaza de San Francisco and in El Salvador; of the other candles, those of the streets, which will soon be extended to preserve the solarium and create what is now called a microclimate. Just as the orange tree asks for narrow streets, the jacarandas ask for wide and long avenues on which to see, from afar, the beauty of its purple canopy, and I once again recommend that you be entranced by its beauty on María Luisa avenue contemplated from the Caballo del Cid towards the river, a prodigy", and it is that, the writer points out, since the jacarandas have a slightly sweet smell, they almost seemed like honey "every year, they smell like the most refined Seville dreamed of".

Seville is full of curiosities, it is one of those places that always has something to discover. Hidden squares, narrow streets with legends, tiles with particular history, columns of ancient Roman temples, or churches that keep authentic treasures inside or on their façade. Along these lines, for a few weeks ABC de Sevilla has made a stop along the way among the news to inquire about certain curious or unknown facts. If a few weeks ago we stopped to tell the story of an olive tree brought from Jerusalem itself, located in the Fontecruz 'Los Seises' hotel, this time we did not stray far from the historic center to talk about a very unique tree.

If, as we began by saying in this report, Seville has been covered in a purple tide that has colored many corners with its jacarandas purple-blue, there is a species of this same tree that does not have that color. Instead of having the usual color, this specimen has its white flowers, trying to shade the orange blossom that has already disappeared from the orange trees. Those who want to come to enjoy this unique and 'discreet' jacaranda tree should visit the old Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville, the seat of the rectory of the University of Seville. This has been pointed out on Twitter by this Sevillian.In general, the flowers of the jacarandas, in the form of a cluster, are violet-blue in color and tubular in shape, like the famous Jacaranda mimosifolia, but in some species their color varies, towards pink in some, and white in a few.

It is an ovalifolia jacaranda with white flowers, which was planted in 2018 in the gardens of the Tobacco Factory. This jacaranda is unique in the color of its flowers, since the white flowers in this species are a botanical rarity that gives it exceptional value. According to the University of Seville, there is no data that there is another specimen with white flowers in Europe, with which its conservation in our city has a precious value.

It is not the first location that this tree with white flowers has had, the specimen was located to date at the Guadaira University Hall of Residence, on Avenida de La Palmera, where it has received the necessary care and attention and has been recognized at all times. its value. The reasons for the transfer are the carrying out of a work in the gardens of the Center, for which the Management of the Residence Hall has decided to transfer this tree to the University of Seville.

We will have to enjoy them while they last, as Pablo Milanés already did: «Oh, my jacaranda/ When the end comes/ What palm tree is going to contemplate you?/ What bougainvillea is going to bless you?/ From the eyes that cry for you».

 

Link: https://sevilla.abc.es/sevilla/curiosidades-sevilla-sabias-jacaranda-color-morado-20230503063025-nts.html