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Out & AboutJacaranda dreamingBY ROBERT C. JOHNSTON, WRITER AND RESEARCHERI have always loved flying back into Sydney at this time of year. Splashes of brilliant purple attract my eye, forming rich tapestries on a monumental scale as the plane gently approaches our emerald city.Jacaranda trees – welcoming me home.For first-time visitors to Sydney, those unknown lilac specks below will soon be seen up-close in all their glorious beauty. Framing our architecture, decorating our streets, showering our parks in a dazzling blue carpet – one can be certain that travel photos of Sydney in spring and early summer will feature this photogenic delight.Although their ubiquitous-ness might suggest otherwise, jacarandas are not native to Australia; they originate in Brazil. The Royal Gardens in England acquired a specimen in about 1818 and Sydney’s first jacaranda was planted in the Botanic Gardens in the late 1850s or early 1860s.Jacaranda mimosifolia, themost well-known blue variety, is planted throughout the world in climates similar to Brazil, where there is little risk of frost. In fact, if you travel at the right time to parts of the USA, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, South Africa, Zambia, Iran, Zimbabwe, Israel and Pakistan, you may come across the familiar sight of jacarandas in full bloom.A jacaranda on Eton Rd, LindfieldLegend has it that long ago a hospital on Sydney’s North Shore gave out jacaranda seedlings to new mothers. This lovely idea, along with council beautification schemes, could account for the enchanting quantity we enjoy.Do you have a beautiful local jacaranda pic?Send it in and we’ll include it on our website!16 LIVING LOCAL SUMMER 2016/17 “Dream, Inspire, Grow” www.livinglocalguide.com.au