10 Million Trees, All Planted by Hand
Johannesburg is home to over 10 million trees, making it the largest man-made urban forest on Earth. What makes this even more remarkable? The city was originally treeless grassland.
When the first gold prospectors arrived in 1886, they found rolling highveld grassland with scattered acacia trees. Every single tree you see in Johannesburg today was planted by human hands - a green legacy spanning over 130 years.
Every October-November, Johannesburg explodes in purple blooms
The city's most iconic trees are the jacarandas, originally from South America. Planted en masse in the 1930s and 1940s, these trees transform Johannesburg into a purple wonderland each spring (October-November).
University of Pretoria students believe: "If a jacaranda flower falls on your head before exams, you'll pass. If you haven't started studying when the jacarandas bloom, you've failed."
Lining the streets of suburbs like Rosebank, Houghton, and Pretoria Road.
Fallen flowers create natural purple carpets on streets and sidewalks.
October-November is peak Instagram season - the city becomes a photographer's dream.
Johannesburg sits at 1,753m (5,751 feet) above sea level, making it one of the world's highest major cities. This altitude has real effects:
The sun is HOT. UV levels are extreme. Sunscreen is not optional - it's survival.
Visitors from sea level feel breathless during the first few days. Athletes train here for the altitude advantage.
Summer days hit 30°C+, but nights cool down to 15°C. Winter mornings can drop to -5°C, then warm to 20°C by afternoon.
Alcohol hits harder at altitude. Locals know: pace yourself at the shisa nyama!
Johannesburg's summer (October-March) is defined by legendary afternoon thunderstorms. The pattern is predictable and spectacular:
The storms are violent but brief - dumping torrential rain, hail the size of golf balls, and lightning that lights up the sky. Within an hour, it's over, and the city steams under the returning sun.
Johannesburg averages over 300 sunny days per year - more than Miami or Los Angeles.
Hot days (25-32°C), afternoon storms, lush greenery. The rainy season.
Bone-dry air, freezing mornings (0-5°C), warm afternoons (18-22°C). Zero rain for months.
Johannesburg experiences some of the most severe hailstorms on Earth - a hazard of the Highveld climate.
Mining Boom: Deforestation for mine timber. The city was dusty and barren.
The Greening: City planners launch massive tree-planting campaigns to beautify the industrial city and combat dust.
Expansion: Every new suburb is designed with tree-lined streets.
Green Legacy: The urban forest provides shade, cooling, oxygen, and beauty. A testament to long-term vision.