The country's gracious administrative capital, Pretoria is famous for its flowering jacaranda trees in springtime, (September and October), when the city is blanketed with their purple blossoms. Founded in 1855, the city was named after Andries Pretorius, the hero of the Battle of Blood River. It was the capital of the newly independent Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek from 1860 to 1910. Jan Smuts House, Church Square, the Union Buildings, and the Voortrekker monument are all full of historical interest. It is also home to the country's most successful rugby team, the Blue Bulls.