The purple weeks
Jacaranda Season in South East Queensland
For a few weeks each spring the trees turn purple and the lawns go with them. Here is when, and where to stand.
When is jacaranda season?
In South East Queensland the jacarandas flower in late spring, from October into November, with the show peaking in November. The exact weeks shift a little with the year’s rain and warmth, and the season runs earlier the further north you go. Each tree holds its full bloom for only a few weeks, which is what makes the season an event rather than a backdrop: the purple arrives, carpets the ground beneath, and is gone by summer.
Why the trees go bare first
A jacaranda flowers on bare wood. The tree drops its leaves ahead of the bloom, so for those few weeks there is nothing on the branches but colour, and the petals fall while still vivid. That is where the famous purple carpet comes from. The carpet photographs as well as the canopy, which is worth knowing when you plan where to stand.
Where to see them in the Gold Coast Hinterland
Jacarandas line streets across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but the best of the season is a tree you can stand under at leisure rather than glimpse from a car. At our estate in Mount Nathan, in the Gold Coast Hinterland at the foot of Tamborine Mountain, the jacarandas stand over the wedding lawns, and the river runs behind them. The grounds, the gardens and the café are open to visitors, so the purple weeks are a reason for a day out as much as a photograph.
Weddings under the jacarandas
The season is short, and couples plan for it. A ceremony in the jacaranda gardens in November means vows under the canopy and a reception with petals across the lawn, and those weeks book ahead of the rest of spring. Our Wedding Expo & Open Day is timed to the bloom each November for the same reason: it is the one afternoon a year the venue can be walked exactly as it photographs.
Planning around a short season
Two practical notes for anyone chasing the purple. First, the bloom is a window, not a date: a wedding set in mid November will almost always catch it, but no one can promise a particular Saturday. Second, the trees reward the morning and late afternoon, when the light comes low through the canopy; the middle of the day flattens the colour. If you want to judge the timing for yourself, visit the grounds in the first week of November and watch how far the colour has come.