A June sunset in Encinitas.

Summer Solstice, the time when the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, occurs this year at 7:57 am on Wednesday, June 21. The summer solstice not only marks the beginning of summer for the Northern Hemisphere; it also means that the daylight hours are maximized. San Diegans now enjoy approximately 14 hours of daylight, in contrast to the meager 10 hours or so we experience in December. Anytime this week or next, try checking your shadow at 12:50 pm (the local daylight time in San Diego currently equivalent to astronomical noon). The sun is then only 10 degrees south of straight overhead and casts near-vertical shadows. A lesser known consequence of the summer solstice is that our twilight periods are longer than usual. Evening and morning twilight periods are now lasting more than 90 minutes. Also on the 21st, About 40 minutes after the Sun sets at its rightmost possible position, Venus, Mars, and the crescent Moon will all be within a few degrees of each other.

Blue Elderberry(Sambucus Cerulea) is native to the Western United States, from Montana to Northern Mexico.

Wikimedia Commons/Kenraiz

Elderberry, two species of which range over most of San Diego County, is in full bloom this month. The flat-topped, creamy white blossoms of this large shrub or small tree can be seen in the natural coastal canyon areas such as Tecolote Canyon and Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, as well as in the more moist areas of the foothills and mountains. The elderberry’s tiny fruits, which ripen in late summer, have traditionally been used for various drinks and preserves.