Jacaranda, University of Sydney, Historic tree in University of Sydney Quadrangle, Australia.
The Jacaranda of the University of Sydney is a tree growing in the southeastern corner of the main quadrangle of the University of Sydney, in Australia, known for its purple flowers that appear in late spring. It shares the quadrangle with a native Illawarra flame tree planted in the opposite corner.
The original tree was planted in 1928 by Professor Eben Gowrie Waterhouse and stood for close to nine decades before it collapsed in October 2016. A cloned replacement was planted shortly after at the same spot to keep the tradition alive.
The purple flowers are widely seen by students as a sign that exams are near, making the tree a kind of annual calendar marker on campus. Many students notice the bloom and feel a shared sense of urgency that brings the academic community together.
The tree sits inside the main quadrangle of the university and is easy to reach on foot during a campus visit. The best time to see the flowers is in October and November, which is late spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
The current tree is a genetic clone of the original, which means it is biologically the same plant as the one planted in 1928. This approach was chosen to preserve not just the location but also the exact appearance of the flowers.
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