Escape to Nilgiris: A weekend trip from Hyderabad to see purple Jacaranda blossoms

Hyderabad: The increasing summer heat is making many Hyderabadis head to cooler climates for the weekends. Make Nilgiris your next choice destination.

Currently, the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom. It is a spectacular sight to see the contrast between verdant green tea gardens and the purple Jacaranda trees in Nilgiris.

Road trip to find the cherry blossoms

During the road trip to the Nilgiris from Hyderabad, you would pass through Bengaluru where Tabebuia Rosea are also in bloom and look like cherry blossoms. The pinkish flowers of these trumpet trees, originally from South America, can be seen everywhere in Bengaluru.

About Jacaranda

Jacaranda grows in warmer parts of the world and is known for its showy blue or violet flowers and oppositely paired leaves.

The genus includes about 50 species native to Central and South America and the West Indies. The Jacaranda tree or Blue Jacaranda is an ornamental tree that grows up to 18 meters and is popular for its clusters of fragrant purple trumpet-shaped blossoms from March to May.

The blue jacaranda has been planted in almost every part of the world where there is no risk of frost; its bark is thin and grey-brown, twigs are slender and slightly zigzag in a light reddish-brown colour.

The flowers are up to 5 cm long and are grouped in 30 cm panicles that appear in spring and early summer and last for up to two months. Each flower blooms with a five-lobed blue to purple-blue corolla and a few species even have white flowers. The fruit is an oblong to oval flattened capsule containing numerous slender seeds.

Blue Gulmohar

The Jacaranda grown in India is native to Brazil but has made its way to most tropical countries. Jacaranda is also known as Blue Gulmohar in India. The Blue Jacaranda is widely planted across India and has striking indigo-coloured flowers.

Blue jacaranda trees are also planted as ornamental trees in parks and gardens. It looks spectacular against the green of tea estates. Tourists across India travel to Munnar in Kerala and the Nilgiri just to view its spectacular beauty in March and April.

Breathtaking beauty

The beauty of jacaranda flowers in clusters is a mesmerising sight for those travelling from Nilgiris to Ooty, Coonoor and Korakundah. The jacaranda trees line most roads and are planted alongside tea gardens.

The natural beauty of the Nilgiri Mountains is enhanced by the purple-blue blooms. A purple carpet of fallen flowers can be found under every tree. The blooming jacaranda trees signal the start of the summer tourist season with the Ugadi, Ramzan and Easter holidays.

Flowers attract pollinators

Jacaranda in the Nilgiris is an ornamental flowering tree. It is native to South America, belongs to the Jacaranda mimosifolia species.

The elegant purple-blue bell shape, with a unique fragrance, makes Jacaranda so special during the summer.

During blooming, the flowers attract bees, butterflies and small birds, besides giving shade and colour. The flowers are long-lasting in nature, and the blooms will be there for the next two months.

Another unique feature which is more specific to the jacaranda tree is the glittering phenomenon; the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the bluish violet colours of the flower disappears when the pollination is completed. The flower emits UV to attract insects, especially butterflies or birds.