Australian students awoke on Sunday morning to the news that ‘Jacaranda’, “the most famous tree in Australian education” had collapsed.

Jacaranda (a purple jacaranda) was the university’s most treasured flora, featuring in “thousands” of wedding and graduation photos since she was planted in 1928.

A layer of purple blossom litters the now-bare quadrangle she once occupied, serving as a melancholic reminder of the plant’s demise.

An emotional university spokeswoman cited “old age” as the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected.

Jacaranda was firmly rooted in university folklore, with undergraduates fearing failure if they neglected to study before the tree’s first bloom. Some students have nervously speculated that the event will prompt academic turmoil.

Whilst the removal of Jacaranda’s carcass was completed before midday, the emotional repercussions of the tree’s tragic tumble are likely to be long lasting, even perennial.

Alexander Jones

(Image: University of Sydney)