In recent days, central streets in Dalat have been “dyed” purple as jacaranda flowers burst into bloom, delighting both residents and tourists.
Along Tran Phu Street near Hoang Van Thu Lake, decades-old trees are flowering in vivid colour, creating a poetic backdrop that has attracted crowds of photographers and sightseers.
Nguyen Thi Huyen, a local resident, said the bloom has become a familiar seasonal highlight. Each year from around March to April, the purple flowers appear across the city, leaving a lasting impression on visitors to the misty highland destination.
The jacaranda, scientifically known as Jacaranda acutifolia, belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. It was introduced to Dalat in 1962 by Luong Van Sau, a horticultural engineer trained in Versailles, France.
Thanks to favourable soil and climate conditions, the species has thrived in Dalat for decades.
Local authorities and residents have since expanded its cultivation across many streets to enhance the urban landscape.
Today, jacaranda trees are widely planted along major roads such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Van Cu, Tran Phu, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and April 3 street, as well as in tourist sites and hotel grounds.
International tourists have also been seen stopping to photograph the distinctive blossoms.
The tree can grow up to 10 metres tall. Each cluster of blossoms typically lasts between three and five days before falling, but successive blooms ensure that the trees remain vibrant for weeks, sometimes even an entire month.
Visitors also gather at scenic spots such as Robin hill to admire and photograph the flowers, while others encounter jacarandas blooming in residential gardens across the city.
A purple jacaranda tree blooms in the garden of a private residence on Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street.
Tran Ngoc Bao Tram, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City, said she was surprised and impressed when seeing the flowers for the first time. She described the purple hue as unusual compared with other flamboyant species, adding that it creates a romantic atmosphere that has become a distinctive feature of Dalat.
Beyond their visual appeal, jacaranda trees have come to symbolise the city’s romance and uniqueness, reinforcing Dalat’s reputation as Vietnam’s “city of flowers”.