Monty Burns

Native to Australia but because it is drought tolerant, cold hardy and salt tolerant, Acacia longifolia has naturalized in many parts of the world.

If You’ve Seen Large Swatches of Yellow around town lately, it could be acacia longifolia. The South Eastern Australian native is a fast-growing, bushy, evergreen shrub that can grow to over twenty feet tall and almost as wide. Because it’s frost- and drought-resistant as well as salt-tolerant, it does very well in San Diego. It is a colorful, fragrant winter bloomer, so it can be a colorful addition to your yard. But it is also an invasive species, so it should be kept in backyards and spaces far from native land to keep it from spreading. 

A Snowy Egret hunts in the tidal pools at Black's Beach

Very Low Tides on a string of days this week coincide with optimum times of day for tidepooling. On Thursday, February 8, the tide falls to a low of -1.84 feet at 2:50 pm. On Friday, February 9, the tide drops to -1.9 feet (nearly as low as it ever gets) at 3:26 pm. Again, on Saturday, February 10, the tide falls to -1.7 feet at 4:01 pm. Sunday afternoon’s low tide of -1.25 feet occurs at 4:36 pm. Plenty of rocky stretches of coastline for tidepool gazing are available throughout the county, including Cabrillo National Monument, north Pacific Beach, and La Jolla.

There's still time to plant some winter veggies, and Friday's new moon is the perfect day.

The New Moon peaks on February 9 at 2:59 pm. The New Moon is sometimes seen as a period of rebirth... maybe it’s time to consider planting some seeds in anticipation of the gardening season ahead. Check out a Planting Calendar to see if it’s time to get those seedlings started.