Mustard in Bloom
A nonnative plant more like a weed than a wildflower, mustard is blooming profusely on grassy slopes all along the coastline of San Diego County. An old story, probably apocryphal, tells of the padres scattering mustard seed along the El …
The Tides of March
Notable High Tides this month include a +5.4-foot tide at 7:47am on Saturday, March 27; a +5.4-foot tide at 8:36am on Sunday, March 28; and a +5.5-foot tide at 9:06pm also on Sunday, March 28. The lowest tides are -0.8 …
Yuccas and Citrus Blossoms
Yuccas of two varieties are in bloom in San Diego County from now through May. Year after year, the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) sends up a blunt flower stalk of white, waxy blossoms from the same base -- a rosette …
The Vernal Equinox, Saturn, and the Big Dipper
The Vernal Equinox on Saturday, March 20 at 10:32am Pacific daylight time heralded the beginning of the spring season for Earth's northern hemisphere. At the instant of vernal equinox, the sun lied in the plane of Earth's equator. As a …
India Hawthorn & Orchid Trees
India Hawthorn, one of the most common flowering shrubs used in landscaping as hedges and dividers in San Diego, is blooming best right about now. The plant, which has several varieties, covers itself with blossoms ranging in hue from pinkish …
Daylight Saving Time Arrives
Pacific Daylight Time, or "daylight saving time," starts on Sunday morning, March 14, at 2 am. No time is "saved" by advancing our clocks by one hour. This sneaky trick in civil time is designed to rouse us out of …
Vernal Splendor
The Mix of Rain and Sunshine characteristic of the last few weeks has triggered the emergence of bright green leaves on sycamore, liquidambar, and other decorative deciduous trees around San Diego. Cruise down 163 through Balboa Park to appreciate the …
Desert Blooms
The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park should flower best through early April, with peak blooms expected within two weeks in low-lying, warm areas like Borrego Valley, the Borrego Badlands, Coyote Canyon, and along Highway S-2 in the south end of the …
Mexican Coral and Ornamental Peach Trees
Mexican Coral Trees or "naked corals," are showing their stuff this season by bearing and baring scarlet, flame-like flowers on the tips of their twisting, leafless branches. Commonly planted as park and freeway landscaping, this and other species of coral …
In Like a Lion
March Is the Proverbial Windy Month here in San Diego, as in most places. From midday to late afternoon, sun-warmed air expands and rises over the county's interior, drawing in an influx of cool air from the coast to replace …