Comprehension: Pretoria's Jacaranda trees are an 'alien' problem

South Africa's capital Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda City, for the purple blossomed trees that line its streets. Yet they were imported from South America and are classified as an alien invasive-problem.

Watch the video and answer the questions below. Decide if the statements are True or False.

1.Pretoria has always been a big city.

a. True

b. False

2.Jacaranda trees originally came from Brazil.

a. True

b. False

3. Jacaranda trees use a lot of water and prevents other plants growing beneath it.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:
The host of Jacaranda trees that line the streets of Pretoria explain its nickname, ‘the Jacaranda City’, but they’re not native to South Africa.  These trees were imported from Brazil over 120 years ago just as South Africa’s gold rush was beginning.

“Gold was discovered in Johannesburg in 1887, so these first Jacarandas came when Johannesburg was still a little mining town, so the first Jacarandas are older than Johannesburg itself.”

Today there are 70,000 Jacaranda trees in Pretoria, half of which were planted by the city council, but in recent years they’ve caused problems forcing the government to take action.

“You have to replace the Jacaranda with indigenous trees because it has to be using a lot of water and because of where they grow.  Normally you can’t grow anything like ground cover, or any plants underneath these Jacaranda.”

The government now classifies Jacarandas as alien invasive plants and has banned them from being replanted.  That’s bad news for woodworkers like Alexander Wildervank who likes to use the Jacaranda instead of pine

“It is a pity because it’s a beautiful tree to see, but on the other hand, like Black Wattle, it’s a lovely tree but if it starts, you know, messing up your ground water and things like that, I think that’s more important.”

Despite the nation- wide ban Pretoria’s tree lovers have successfully fought for exemption.  New Jacaranda trees can still be planted in the city centre, in spots where previous trees have died.

They’ll be fewer ‘alien plants’ elsewhere in South Africa but they’ll continue to flower in the country’s Jacaranda City.

Answers:
1. b
2. a
3. a

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