The Silk Floss Tree shows off and Tidepool season begins

The Silk Floss Tree, a conspicuous “autumn bloomer” here and there around San Diego, has been showing off its pinkish (or purplish) hibiscus-like flowers for at least a month now. The broad, heavy trunks of this South American import, which are studded with fat, cone-shaped spines, makes it easy to identify.

October’s Lowest Tides, coinciding with afternoon hours several days in a row, usher in several months of excellent tidepooling opportunities. A -0.4 foot tide occurs at 4 pm on the Tuesday, October 25. A -0.6 foot tide occurs at 4:43 pm on Wednesday, and a -0.6 foot tide occurs at 5:31 pm on Thursday. The region’s best-known places to view intertidal life include Cabrillo National Monument and various rocky stretches of coastline near La Jolla.

The Tawny Hues of the Black Oak Tree are just beginning to highlight the slopes of San Diego County’s higher mountains. Named for the dark coloring of its bark, especially when wet, the black oak is the only deciduous oak native to the county. Associating with pines, firs, cedars, various evergreen oaks, and occasionally chaparral, the black oak lends a true autumn coloring to the Cuyamaca, Laguna, and Palomar mountains.

The Orionid Meteor Shower, one of the year’s five best annual showers, peaks on the morning of Thursday, October 21. Unfortunately, the nearly full moon’s glare will hamper observations of the meteors all night long. But despite the moon glare, and even the bright city lights, you might spot five or ten meteors per hour during the most favorable hours of 4 am to 6 am. The Orionids seem to radiate from the constellation of Orion, hence their name.