The Moon, just shy of full phase, rises impressively from the east horizon on Tuesday, April 27 at around 7:05pm, some 20 minutes before the time of sunset. Some folk names for April full moons include "growing moon," "seed moon," …

Blue-Blossoming Jacarandas (the City of San Diego's official "street tree") have already produced a first wave of color all over the region. By early or mid-May, warm weather permitting, this Brazilian import could put on a dazzling show. The larger …

The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks this year during the early-morning hours of April 22 and April 23, with the best conditions occurring after moonset and within the last hour or two before dawn (up to 5am). Usually the Lyrids produce …

Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge will show off their best iridescent green foliage later this month. The Old Mission Dam parking area on Father Junipero Serra Trail, off Mission Gorge Road (west of Santee), is …

Star Jasmine's sweet perfume, exuded from clusters of small, white flowers, will continue to scent San Diego's spring breezes until sometime in June. Not a true jasmine, or Jasminum, star jasmine belongs to the genus Trachelospermum. In both public and …

Less Rain, warmer temperatures, and hazier skies coincide with the subtle onset of San Diego's spring season. By April's end, the alternating periods of rainfall and crystal-clear skies we've been having will likely be distant memories. The nocturnal, low overcast …

One of the best coastal wildflower blooms in years will continue through April. One of the best spots for viewing the greatest variety of flowers is Torrey Pines State Reserve. San Onofre State Beach, just north of Camp Pendleton, should …

The Planet Mercury appears as a somewhat conspicuous "star" in the west at dusk on Saturday, April 3, but nowhere near as bright as Venus, which lies only three degrees to Mercury's left. For the next week or so, Mercury …

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 …

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 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 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, 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

Very Low Tides this weekend, associated with the full moon, will open up opportunities for tidepool gazing. The four lowest tides of the coming days are: Thursday, February 25 at 1:10pm (-1.2 feet); Friday at 1:47pm (-1.5 feet); Saturday at …

Manzanita Shrubs are starting to bloom this month in the foothill areas of the Cleveland National Forest. The various manzanitas, characterized by smooth, reddish bark and tough, leathery leaves, bear myriads of tiny, white to pinkish-white, urn-shaped blossoms. Large (decades-old) …