 The climate supports a natural vegetation of open woodland.The most common tree of the local region is the Msasa "Brachystegia spiciformis" that colours the landscape wine red with its new leaves in late August.Two introduced species of trees, the jacaranda and the flamboyant from South America and Madagascar respectively, which were introduced during the colonial era, contribute to the city's colour palette with streets lined with either the lilac blossoms of the jacaranda or the flame red blooms from the flamboyant.