Purple reign: the irresistible allure of Australia's jacarandas - in pictures

Jacaranda trees add vibrant dashes of purple to cities across Australia each November, bursting into bloom then casting off petals to create a colourful carpet below. Jacarandas were first grown in Sydney in the 1850s, but by the 1930s the trees were so common many confused the Brazilian native for a local plant. It grows so easily from fallen seeds that it is considered a pest in bushland areas, but try telling that to those who flock to the annual Jacaranda festival in Grafton on the NSW north...