It is raining in Malawi these days.
No, it is not water that is coming down, but blossoms. The jacarandas are in bloom.
Jacarandas are huge trees, native to South America. They were heavily planted across Africa, especially during periods of British colonization. The trees do not tolerate cold weather, and in exchange their beautiful violet blossoms stay on the branches for several weeks. They can live for up to 200 years and grow very large. In the United States, they are rarely found in far southern Florida and small patches of California. Here in Malawi, it is a much different story. They are everywhere, especially in the cities.
Here, jacarandas bloom in September and October. Though I have been coming to Malawi for over a decade, it has only rarely been during these months. In late August, when I departed for my vacation in Italy, the country was still green and there were few flowering trees. Returning 14 days ago, many of the deciduous trees had lost their leaves, but the jacarandas were in full bloom.
As I went running this morning, Prince was in my head. “I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain.”
The tree’s name comes from the Guarani word for “fragrant.” (The Guarani are a native population in Paraguay.) This is a bit strange because in my opinion, the blooms have no scent. Many of the British colonists planted jacarandas in certain areas. From the air, it is a carpet of purple. Pretoria, South Africa, is well known for its jacarandas lining its avenues. Though Pretoria is not a charming city, the photos of its avenues during October make me want to return just to see the blooming trees.
Nothing lasts forever. As the jacaranda season has progressed, the winds have also picked up. The blossoms shower down and the ground beneath is a purple carpet. As I went running this morning, Prince was in my head. “I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain.”
