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Hints ..of Spring


Silas_Sancona

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A few things around the yard signaling spring is near..     Share picts.  if you're also starting to see signs of the end of winter '21 -'22..

Rock Sage, Salvia pinguifolia.. S. AZ, NM. W. TX / North Central Mexico native shrub w/ somewhat brittle wood to about 6'H x 6'W. Very similar to Shrubby Sage, Salvia ballotaeflora which grows over a wider area of TX and adjacent Northeastern / East Central Mexico. Both are extremely drought tolerant, but appreciate a little afternoon shade / extra water ( to look the nicest ) thru the hottest part of the summer.


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Main flowering cycle is late summer/ Fall but, as you can see, here at least, Rock Sage ( and probably Shrubby sage ) can both have scattered flowers on them at any time. Like 99% of Salvia sp. both are a pollinator and Hummingbird magnet.



Vallesia sp.. Possibly a smaller- flowered form of Nacapule Jasmine.  This one came from a favorite nursery in Tucson.. Some differences between this plant / their " mother " specimen, and plants i have purchased from another place that have slightly different looking leaves ( more fuzz on them, not quite as smooth / flowers a little bigger )  Could be Pearlberry, another Vallesia sp. that occurs in Sonora but unlike this one / others from the other source, fruit on that sp. are near transparent when ripe,.  Once the other place i have picked up plants of the species from starts growing them again, i'll be able to compare the two. Regardless, 6- 12' tall shrub / small patio- type tree that can stay evergreen, but can suffer damage when temps are under 27F for several hours..  That said, i have read some info suggesting specimens in colder parts of Tucson may have survived being frozen to the ground.. Kind of skeptical, but..


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Tiny, but intensely fragrant flowers appear in bursts on and off through the year.  Handles heat.. moderate drought exposure ( but looks best w/ a once or twice a month deep soaking through the hottest parts of the year and some relief from the sun in the afternoon thru the summer.  Central/ Southern Baja (mainly the east side of the peninsula ) Widely scattered in central / southern Baja. Best known location is in a canyon named for the plant, near San Carlos / Guaymas, in Sonora proper.  Same family as Plumeria / Oleander.  Another species or two in the Genus occur in Florida and the Caribbean/ nearby Mainland Mexico/ Central America.



Coral Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens.. Well known, non- invasive/ aggressive  vine from the eastern/ southern U.S. that also does well here in the desert provided some afternoon shade/ regular water when it is hot.. Flowers mainly in spring, but have seen flowers on specimens during monsoon season / early fall here too. Another great vine for hummingbirds/ butterflies that never gets too big, or will take over in a hurry.  Arizona also has one or two red/ orange flowered Honeysuckle sp, but rarely see those in nurseries.. May be to hot for them in the lower elevations of the state. Interesting plants non the less. Some great, shrubbier Honeysuckle sp. from CA, AZ, UT and NM that are garden- worthy also.


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Aloe longistyla.. flowering right on cue for the year..

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Uncarina ..possibly peltata..  first signs of new leaves after a long winter nap.. Every time new leaves start emerging, wish this purplish tinge was a permanent feature as the leaves continue to expand.

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Noticing some color while running errands, walked down to the old house to snap a few pictures of how things were looking in the yard there atm.. 

Some color this year despite even less rain that i'd seen last winter.. ( notice how short everything is in the 1st picture.. Desert Bluebells / other stuff popping up in the rocks is literally under 8" in height ) Mainly Desert Bluebells ( Phacelia campanularia )  but seeing buds starting to form on the Beavertails ( Opuntia basilaris ).. Good sign spring heat isn't too far off.


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Nice to see all these colours.  Germany is still in winter mode.  But hopefully after one or two weeks more we can see the first flowers.

Eckhard 

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I have one big tell tale sign of Spring, the neighbor's big maple is flowering. The clusters seem more dense this year. Other maples are flowering out too, just not nearly as full as this one. Some trees in the area are getting that orange/red hue to the limbs, which i have generally found over the years is a sign that they will begin leafing out within the next few weeks. Spring is coming!

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Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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Florida is in False Spring. Its the season after Winter, but before 2nd winter. Then comes the Pollen season, then Real Spring. It could go either way here from now on....no more cold to speak of, or a surprise frost if an Arctic front managed to get down this far. We are in a small 2 day cold snap now, went from high 80+/low 63 on Thursday to a cool front blowing in last night that will take us to a low of 40 tonight, then right back up tomorrow in the mid-70's and almost 90 in a couple days.

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"You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes"---SliPknot

 

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Several things in the garden are showing signs of Spring.  The mango tree is pushing out some future flowers and new growth right now for starters.  Unfortunately, a very cold front is headed our way right now.  Thursday morning after it passes but leaves some cold air in it's wake and we have clear skies will be the scary one.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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On 2/21/2022 at 1:31 AM, gurugu said:

Nice pics on wild flowers and plants. 

Are other exotics also, ahead in bloom yet? Apart from that Lonicera. 

Right now, main source of color is stuff like Bougainvillea, where still blooming around town.. Other than that, you have plants like Tecoma ( ..Sometimes also called Esperenza ) native Calliandra ( Also called Fairy Duster / Powder Puff ) and some early flowering Emu Bush cultivars ( Genus Eremophilia ) flowering here and there in specific neighborhoods / commercial landscape areas..

As stated in the thread from my walkabout in the desert yesterday, not much in terms of native stuff in flower in the desert this year as well.. Mainly due to very little winter season rainfall..  That said, desert will also start to really wake up over the next few weeks..

Just starting to see some Sweet Acacia ( Vachellia farinesia ) color up around town now..  In another ..say 2-3-ish weeks ( depending on the weather of course ) a lot more stuff will start flowering.. Just as what late flowering Cascalote ( Tara /  **Formally Caesalpinia** cacalaco ) drop their last flowers for the year.  While perhaps a bit more subdued compared to a rainy- winter year, everything in the desert wil also start flowering more by mid- March..  maybe earlier if next month starts off, and stays warm.

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There’s definitely a spring feel here now, although winter never really made a proper appearance for us. It’s really sunny out at the moment and I can feel the strength of the sunlight picking up again, although I am at risk of a radiation frost tonight under clear skies. It shouldn’t go below 0C / 32F out here in the rural countryside tonight.

I’ve only had 2 frosts so far this month though and everything is budding up and starting to regrow again, although the recent storms have trashed a lot of the new buds on trees and bushes. Winter is as good as over now for Western Europe. It’ll be spring next week. Glad to be coming out of winter.

Edited by UK_Palms
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Dry-summer Oceanic climate (9a)

Average annual precipitation - 18.7 inches : Average annual sunshine hours - 1725

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I am noticing the clerodendrum quadriloculare has finished blooming and the leaves are starting to fall off. I used to think of the flowering (in January) as the first sign of Spring, but obviously January is still prime winter season. I always consider that once this plant drops it's flowers and then leaves, and the new leaves start to come out, that is a good gage for Florida spring. 

Plumeria have leafed out and some here and there are shooting out a few random flowers. This happened in last February too.

Silk Floss Trees are almost all leafed out. I notice they leaf out slowly over the course of winter, so by the time all of the branches on a large specimen are back, it is usually the start of Spring.

Avocados are blooming. Mangos are having their second heavy bloom (they have been blooming off and on since our dry last summer). We had some cold weather 3 weeks ago that killed a lot of the flowers and tiny fruits, in addition to some heavy rain and wind. They appear to be doing their main bloom now.

Bridal bouquet (plumeria pudica) are starting to leaf out. I also use them as a good gage for the start of Spring in my yard.

Flowering tropical trees like the Royal Poinciana are starting to lose their leaves due to the warmer temps, dry winds, longer days and higher sun angle. That is also a good indicator for non-irrigated trees.

Overall, a lot of random plants in the yard are starting to resume new growth and coloring up with a healthier green tone. In general, around March 1st seems like a good date to herald in Spring in South Florida, so this year feels on time or normal in that regard.

I keep watching the national forecast to see how it's warming up north. There still seems to be some brutal cold over a lot of the country. Until that fades away, we aren't truely in Spring though. Hopefully it will stay bottled up and retreat northward so other areas can get an early thaw!

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5 hours ago, chinandega81 said:

I am noticing the clerodendrum quadriloculare has finished blooming and the leaves are starting to fall off. I used to think of the flowering (in January) as the first sign of Spring, but obviously January is still prime winter season. I always consider that once this plant drops it's flowers and then leaves, and the new leaves start to come out, that is a good gage for Florida spring. 

Plumeria have leafed out and some here and there are shooting out a few random flowers. This happened in last February too.

Silk Floss Trees are almost all leafed out. I notice they leaf out slowly over the course of winter, so by the time all of the branches on a large specimen are back, it is usually the start of Spring.

Avocados are blooming. Mangos are having their second heavy bloom (they have been blooming off and on since our dry last summer). We had some cold weather 3 weeks ago that killed a lot of the flowers and tiny fruits, in addition to some heavy rain and wind. They appear to be doing their main bloom now.

Bridal bouquet (plumeria pudica) are starting to leaf out. I also use them as a good gage for the start of Spring in my yard.

Flowering tropical trees like the Royal Poinciana are starting to lose their leaves due to the warmer temps, dry winds, longer days and higher sun angle. That is also a good indicator for non-irrigated trees.

Overall, a lot of random plants in the yard are starting to resume new growth and coloring up with a healthier green tone. In general, around March 1st seems like a good date to herald in Spring in South Florida, so this year feels on time or normal in that regard.

I keep watching the national forecast to see how it's warming up north. There still seems to be some brutal cold over a lot of the country. Until that fades away, we aren't truely in Spring though. Hopefully it will stay bottled up and retreat northward so other areas can get an early thaw!

Going to have to check on a neighbor's Royal Poinciana. Usually hold 90% of it's leaves thru the winter, unless toasted. ..at least the last few years..  same w/ another neighbor's Cassia fistulas / Tamarind in her yard. Moringa are flowering in her yard / some other yards in the neighborhood though.

Plumeria in another neighbor's yard, at the end of the block is green, but it gets wayy too much water / is too leggy for my taste. Mine are dormant atm, as they should be this time of year.  Noticed where new growth will push on the Ficus nitida out back is starting to swell. Vine-y Bougainvillea, AKA:  "  Torture - Villea "  are pushing lots of beet red new growth now. Not too much newer growth on the " nice " ones yet. 

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2 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Frickin red wasps, rain, and wild temperature swings. 

Havent seen wasps nor bees yet.....yet

Im sure they will make an appearance this week only to get shunted back into winter mode next week.

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Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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45 minutes ago, JLM said:

Havent seen wasps nor bees yet.....yet

Im sure they will make an appearance this week only to get shunted back into winter mode next week.

I saw a mosquito tonight too. I look forward to these b*stards freezing to death tomorrow. 

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It'll be cold the next 3 nights (down to 33/34 forecast), but it definitely feels like spring. We'll be hitting high 70s and low 80s in the next 2 weeks. Things will really be waking up then. 

 

 

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Edited by Josue Diaz
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Cold, wet ( ..and slightly out of focus ) first flower, ..and more on the way.. on this newly acquired Anisacanthus andersonii. 

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Some literature cites a direct relation between it and the more widely distributed Anisacanthus thurberi  here in the Sonoran Desert eco- region.Can see some similarities, but some very different aspects between the two sp. as well, mainly the much bigger/ longer flowers, and bigger leaves.

Will be interesting to see how it develops as warmer weather ahead spurs spring growth.

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On 2/19/2022 at 8:10 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Tiny, but intensely fragrant flowers appear in bursts on and off through the year.  Handles heat.. moderate drought exposure ( but looks best w/ a once or twice a month deep soaking through the hottest parts of the year and some relief from the sun in the afternoon thru the summer.  Central/ Southern Baja (mainly the east side of the peninsula ) Widely scattered in central / southern Baja. Best known location is in a canyon named for the plant, near San Carlos / Guaymas, in Sonora proper.  Same family as Plumeria / Oleander.  Another species or two in the Genus occur in Florida and the Caribbean/ nearby Mainland Mexico/ Central America.

Interesting plant. I didn´t know it. Thank you.

So far we have had a 10b winter. Dry and very sunny for our standards, mild too. From late October to early December we had over 600 litres of rain, that´s why many plants have flowered earlier than usual.

Vinca mayor.

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Clivia miniata orange.

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yellow

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Hymenocalys. It has been like this for two months now.

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Beschorneria yuccoides.

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Gibalbera. Semele androgyna. A climber endemic of Canary islands and Azores.

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Physalis peruviana. It has been all winter long with its fruits (in the open).

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A wild flower Prímula acaulis. This winter has flowered later than usual.

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Strelitzia Mandela´s gold.

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Mimosa. Acacia dealbata, withering now because it flowered in late December early January.

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Aloe ferox. 2/3 weeks in bloom. Arborescens and others started earlier.

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12 minutes ago, gurugu said:

Interesting plant. I didn´t know it. Thank you.

So far we have had a 10b winter. Dry and very sunny for our standards, mild too. From late October to early December we had over 600 litres of rain, that´s why many plants have flowered earlier than usual.

Vinca mayor.

IMG_20220220_141114.thumb.jpg.d88e6f5cb87e6cb51146237631f970ce.jpg

Clivia miniata orange.

IMG_20220220_141156.thumb.jpg.6ae99fac686b012c63836ef38e6b7ffd.jpg

yellow

IMG_20220220_141225.thumb.jpg.bac0f67ee7e8024dbc0bf640f693c0c7.jpg

Hymenocalys. It has been like this for two months now.

IMG_20220220_141315.thumb.jpg.bf6dad47e0549020bfd7ace53583495d.jpg

Beschorneria yuccoides.

IMG_20220220_141349.thumb.jpg.229137d645e9b4de25d36ab7fd3ad67b.jpg

Gibalbera. Semele androgyna. A climber endemic of Canary islands and Azores.

IMG_20220220_141415.thumb.jpg.270c93aea5cf3b4bbf67c8ce056783e2.jpg

Physalis peruviana. It has been all winter long with its fruits (in the open).

IMG_20220220_141710.thumb.jpg.9fff3f815721d1c6f87b5a62d77afa14.jpg

 

A wild flower Prímula acaulis. This winter has flowered later than usual.

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Strelitzia Mandela´s gold.

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Mimosa. Acacia dealbata, withering now because it flowered in late December early January.

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Aloe ferox. 2/3 weeks in bloom. Arborescens and others started earlier.

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:greenthumb: Nice variety.. 

The Acacia you mentioned, and another from Australia( Acacia baileyana ) used to be a fairly popular, fast growing, flowering tree options out in California ..until the first sp. started spreading into natural areas, much like Scotch Broom did out there.  Both always flowered in the Jan- ..earliest March.. time frame, right as various stone fruit- type trees ( Almond, Apricots, Plums, etc ) started their season. Used to bring pieces home at the expense of others in my family that are allergic to the pollen / fragrance from the flowers, haha..

Primrose were another Annual, " winter/ spring color "- type plant  you'd see planted everywhere until it fell out of favor,  mainly due to warmer winters that would shorten it's flower displays.  Still used in areas where winters are cooler ..but not frigid.  There's actually a native Primula in the higher elevations of some mountain ranges here.  North America also has another group of native plants called Shooting Stars that were lumped in w/ Primula some time ago.. Resemble Cyclamen, and flowers have a similar musky- sweet fragrance up close. Like some Annuals, Shooting Stars are one of the first perennial native wildflowers you'd see flowering in late winter / early spring when out on a hike.

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2 hours ago, Josue Diaz said:

It'll be cold the next 3 nights (down to 33/34 forecast), but it definitely feels like spring.

Yes, was just confirming what I've been anticipating and here is what the local San Diego NWS office has posted:

Frost Advisory

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service SAN DIEGO CA 1217 PM PST Wed Feb 23 2022 CAZ043-240600- /O.CON.KSGX.FR.Y.0004.220224T0800Z-220224T1600Z/ San Diego County Coastal Areas- Including the cities of Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas 1217 PM PST Wed Feb 23 2022 ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 8 AM PST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 30 will result in frost formation. * WHERE...San Diego County Coastal Areas. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to 8 AM PST Thursday. * IMPACTS...Frost could kill sensitive outdoor vegetation if left uncovered. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The coldest temperatures will be in the areas around Oceanside just inland from the coast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold.

33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

The Acacia you mentioned, and another from Australia( Acacia baileyana ) used to be a fairly popular, fast growing, flowering tree options out in California ..until the first sp. started spreading into natural areas, much like Scotch Broom did out there.  Both always flowered in the Jan- ..earliest March.. time frame, right as various stone fruit- type trees ( Almond, Apricots, Plums, etc ) started their season. Used to bring pieces home at the expense of others in my family that are allergic to the pollen / fragrance from the flowers, haha..

Some acacias have naturalised here: baileyana, melanoxylon, saligna, longifolia, etc. Big forests of the two first can be seen here.

Robinia pseudoacacia naturalised long, long ago too. Pinus radiata too (from California), Eucalyptus globulus, etc.

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On 2/21/2022 at 11:00 AM, Tracy said:

Several things in the garden are showing signs of Spring.  The mango tree is pushing out some future flowers and new growth right now for starters.  Unfortunately, a very cold front is headed our way right now.  Thursday morning after it passes but leaves some cold air in it's wake and we have clear skies will be the scary one.

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What variety are you growing, Tracy?

 

Huntington Beach, CA

USDA Zone 10a/10b

Sunset Zone 24

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35 minutes ago, joe_OC said:

What variety are you growing, Tracy?

 

Acquired this from Exotica as an Alphonso Mango.  Planted it in summer of 2015 from a 15 gallon.  Got my first fruit (pictured below) to ripen in November 2018.  Other than a few more that I got, it has aborted fruit before maturing to full size in the last few years.  Flowers like mad, so I'm hoping that it will eventually mature enough that this will end, but am open to suggestions on how to get them to stick.

20181109-104A1550.jpg

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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The Azaleas are in full bloom now. Going up Chumuckla Hwy today i saw tons of bushes in the tree line with beautiful bright purple flowers. These bushes are also planted in landscapes as well.
Two hot pink azalea flowers

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Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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Camelias started blooming two months ago.

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Cymbidium in bloom for 2 months now

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Rhododendron

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Thunbergia alata in bloom all winter long, in the open.

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Ulex europaeus. This is used as bed for cattle.

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Brassica napus.

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Akebia quinata about to bloom.

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Prunus dulcis.

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Prunus doméstica itálica, in bloom since early January. Last year it yielded a lot of plums.

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21 hours ago, Tracy said:

Acquired this from Exotica as an Alphonso Mango.  Planted it in summer of 2015 from a 15 gallon.  Got my first fruit (pictured below) to ripen in November 2018.  Other than a few more that I got, it has aborted fruit before maturing to full size in the last few years.  Flowers like mad, so I'm hoping that it will eventually mature enough that this will end, but am open to suggestions on how to get them to stick.

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Might up your Potassium / Sul/Po/Mag..  May be feeding it well, but wants just a little more K to get it to fruit reliably / each year.   Should help with getting the fruit to set and continue developing / ripening, and help the tree itself weather these cold spells, any temp swings during the summer that might cause flower/ premature fruit drop a bit better, even there closer to the coast..  Issues w/ rain when the tree is flowering/ summer heat to help speed up  ripening are a different story of course.

Thinking about it, i'll have to take a look at a neighbor's trees to see what his are doing right now. 

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All of my gingers that went down in the single night deep freeze we got are already coming back. The bananas are leafing back out after being napalmed,  ditto brugmansias. The aroids in the greenhouse are waking up. Time to start fertilizing again here. Can you believe that Daylight Savings starts March 13?

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"You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes"---SliPknot

 

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Some new stuff for the front that arrived on a wet and chilly Wednesday. Going in the ground this weekend, if not today afte hanging out inside the last 2 nights waiting for the coolest nights of the week to pass.  Did adjust the order a bit and passed on acquiring a Fragrant Ash < Fraxanus cuspidata > ( Regionally native sp., not one of a couple similar species from Europe/ Asia ) for now. Want to see how the sun behaves thru the summer here before trialing something that interesting..

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Agastache X " Ava " ( plant in front ) Always a fan of the Genus, but have heard they're a tough grow here.. Having more than just all day full sun exposure areas to play around with at this house, trialing a few might work out. we'll see.  Supposedly a robust hybrid, so that might provide some extra toughness in our heat. Another pollinator/ Hummingbird magnet. Fragrant flowers and foliage ( like most Agastache species )



West TX Grass Sage / Slender - leaved / Cobalt Sage, Salvia reptans  W. TX Form,  select cltv. x " Autumn Sapphire " ( Taller plants behind the Agastache ) Should have grabbed a couple more, may later.. Another one of those tough, W. TX natives that is still somewhat obscure, but shouldn't be.. Likes sun, but probably will prefer a break from it in the afternoon thru the summer here. Somewhat shorter selection than some other forms of the species ( roughly 18" -24" x 18" - 24" ) with darker blue flowers.  Blooms in late summer - fall,  just as monsoon season stuff is starting to fade a bit. Prefers gritty, well draining soil, vs organically rich / dense stuff.



Palmer's Penstemon, Penstemon palmeri   One of the tallest ( flower stalks can reach 6ft ) and one of only a handful of Penstemon sp. that produce fragrant flowers, big ones at that.  Dedicating some space in one of the beds out front to native Penstemon sp. and adding this one is a no - brainer.  Unlike our more commonly seen species, P. etonii and parryi palmeri flowers later in the spring ..late April - June providing a nice burst of late spring perennial color ( and fragrance ) just before monsoon season sets the stage for the " summer show " Gritty, well drained soil only. Sun is fine for this heat lover ( Can be observed growing along roadsides in some of the hottest parts of the desert / dry areas here and in CA, Nevada, UT and NM. Planted elsewhere along highways as well )


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Dendrobiums and Cymbidiums budding or blooming announcing late winter and the approach of spring.

1) Dendrobium gracilicauale (macropus)

2) Dendrobium falcorostrum

3) Cymbidium "Street Hawk"

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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From a walk at the Oasis...    Spring show is taking stage pretty quickly now..

Fremont's Cottonwood, Populus fremonti


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Wolfberry, Lycium sp.

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TX Mtn. Laurel, Dermatophyllum secundiflorum

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Blue Bells Emu Bush, Eremophila hygrophana Younger plant in a newly redesigned area. Flowers from specimens for sale at a local Nursery.

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Valentine Emu Bush, Eremophila maculata

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One ..of a gazillion.. native Mallow sp.

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Brittlebush, Encelia farinosa  Dark - centered form

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Pink Fairyduster / Powderpuff, Calliandra eriophylla

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Sweet Acacia, Vachellia farnesiana.  Pretty much every specimen around town is starting to light up now as well.

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..A tad early, but some flowers on this particular Palo Verde. Not sure why but it always has at least a few flowers on it all year.  Rest, area - wide are just starting to awaken.

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>>>>

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Nice photos Nathan!  Getting familiar with some of those species-will give some of them a go here in Inland Socal this year.

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San Fernando Valley, California

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I am seeing my first hint of spring with my wild agarita, Mahonia trifoliolata. The pleasant, sweet floral scent is fairly strong in the yard.

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I am also seeing a return of the bluebonnets, which were almost wiped out from the 2020 drought and 2021 severe freeze. The blue carpet was missing from my pasture last spring, but will return to its glory in the upcoming years.

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Yes, Spring is nigh.  First blooms on the male Ravenea glauca opening as they have in the past in early March.  The Dendrobium falcorostrum buds I posted earlier are now all open too.  When the day warms, their scent is prolific when in their vicinity.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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I spoke way too soon earlier on in this thread. Although I haven’t had a frost in weeks now, the daytime temps are barely scraping 50F here at the moment. It was actually warmer in early January than early March, believe it or not. Some light radiation freezes may be coming next week as well. It still feels like winter, although everything is budding up and coming into flower now. I think March will be below average though. Got a feeling this spring will be poor like last year looking at the long term models and La Niña. 

 

Edited by UK_Palms
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Dry-summer Oceanic climate (9a)

Average annual precipitation - 18.7 inches : Average annual sunshine hours - 1725

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Mutabilis, or Butterfly Rose showing new growth. There was a lot of cold damage this year along with complete defoliation during this "mild" winter. The parent plant died in February of '21.

If anyone is interested, the Mrs Dudley seems to be the most climate hardy of the commonly cultivated roses.

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Everything is leafing out or blooming. Live Oaks are in their leaf replacement cycle. Maples, birches, various oaks and other types are leafing out. Pines are becoming pollen traps. Spring has been relatively on track so far. Unfortunately, there is a Freeze Warning in effect and the forecast shows 26F. This wont be good at all.

Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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14 minutes ago, JLM said:

Everything is leafing out or blooming. Live Oaks are in their leaf replacement cycle. Maples, birches, various oaks and other types are leafing out. Pines are becoming pollen traps. Spring has been relatively on track so far. Unfortunately, there is a Freeze Warning in effect and the forecast shows 26F. This wont be good at all.

Would be surprised if you see any serious damage.. Most of that stuff shouldn't suffer too much.. Maples, and stuff like Slippery Elm / native Oaks / cultivated Pines that got caught flowering / putting out new growth between those late, final freezing nights in early spring in Kansas shrugged it off and went on to produce seed / continue leafing out afterward.. 26 is cold for sure, but all those trees evolved w/ such freak cold snaps in mind. 

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Hymenoxis acaulis

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Penstemon 

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Mallows

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Mild Rosemary variety - I don’t remember which 

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Donut peach

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Malephora lutea 

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‘Red Flame’ Grape

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Utahsweet pomegranate 

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Dermatophyllum secundiflorum - Texas Mountain Laurel

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On 3/12/2022 at 11:33 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Would be surprised if you see any serious damage.. Most of that stuff shouldn't suffer too much.. Maples, and stuff like Slippery Elm / native Oaks / cultivated Pines that got caught flowering / putting out new growth between those late, final freezing nights in early spring in Kansas shrugged it off and went on to produce seed / continue leafing out afterward.. 26 is cold for sure, but all those trees evolved w/ such freak cold snaps in mind. 

The low here briefly hit 29F. This definitely had the potential to go much lower than 26F, but thankfully this event "busted". I observed no damages.

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Palms - 4 S. romanzoffiana, 1 W. bifurcata, 2 W. robusta, 1 R. rivularis, 1 B. odorata, 1 B. nobilis, 2 S. palmetto, 1 A. merillii, 1 P. canariensis, 1 BxJ, 1 BxJxBxS, 1 BxS, 3 P. roebelenii, 1 H. lagenicaulis, 1 H. verschaffeltii, 9 T. fortunei, 1 C. humilis, 2 C. macrocarpa, 1 L. chinensis, 1 R. excelsa

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More stuff waking up, or showing off..

Acacia / Vachellia farnesiana  Season in full swing

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Asclepias angustifolia

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Bigger Beavertail at the old house. Rest are ready to pop any day now..  Can see no one has watered and really let the weedy, non native stuff take over this winter.. 

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Bougainvillea.. Never really stop flowering here, but spring heat really amps the spring show.. Torture - villea, viney- types are a mess when the Bracts slough off, ..but a tolerable mess.  Will be trying to root cuttings off the Torch Glow in the 2nd picture..

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Not flowering, but putting this spineless ( but not totally spine free ) Cylindropuntia  up simply because it has struggled a bit since acquiring it. Bright " eyes " at the centers of the stem tips indicate it is happy and growing. Going to try some cuts off it again this year. 

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Rhus microphylla  waking up..

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Salvia azurea var. grandiflora ..also responding to spring heat May get a couple more next weekend..

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Uncarina ..maybe peltata  showing that nice purple edge glow. Can see the start of flower buds developing in there too.

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..Could put this in the sprouts thread, but putting it here for the heck of it..
A few seedlings:

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Caesalpinia gilliesii, As you can see, were planted back on the 3rd..

Senna purpusii, Baja Senna test seedlings ( 2 darker, bluish green seedlings )

Texas Mtn Laurel test seedlings .. the light, near- white  lavender - flowered form i collected seed of from across the street ( 3 taller, lighter green seedlings )



..Some other stuff down i'll discuss in the sprouts thread once they pop.. Planting out some more of the Tropical Red Salvia, and Red Mex. Sunflower seedlings i started awhile back by this weekend.

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First sign of spring here is always cherry blossom yoshino flowering, below is 10 days ago8ECAD627-6570-4228-98C6-3BD2AF0DACD4.thumb.jpeg.bed45cde357748bcd83a5c7b3cb951f0.jpegGot a cold snap and 3” of snow and now looks like this 27A71D19-BC80-4981-9AB1-C711B7E95193.thumb.jpeg.08cd798b1f06452c65d1f5837d0b4015.jpegAlways worried the fruit trees will get hit by a later cold snap like that and not flower. Never happened yet. 
Want anymore of a sign spring is here in the south….Americas favorite flowering tree the Bradford pear is in full bloom :rant:7767E5A6-B394-4285-A847-B931EA306D10.thumb.jpeg.2fd8f05635e3b0dbc2a12940f81ee933.jpegTons of random yard “weeds” flower at different times through the spring summer, I love it, if I’m going to have grass it might as well flower. Can’t wait for the clover to carpet he whole backyard in another month or so.89A55FB6-62F2-4D34-BF4D-6D32EF1B3749.thumb.jpeg.e1682f11e1ae4ea29fb94e1d4457c4ff.jpegF750B722-7574-4F4F-B364-F8FD723A6DA4.thumb.jpeg.d00228c998aa961d722734f1d0e0ecbb.jpeg7366A2BB-54D4-4CF9-B095-CDA1893E8839.thumb.jpeg.c4364b6018e189080d543db245fc23c2.jpegF3B21888-F206-4491-BCDD-70297A424E43.thumb.jpeg.55fe448353a25d1f120eebe3762d1365.jpegDolgo crab apple leafing outEBAA9D87-10FC-4999-A84D-D94B5BA880A6.thumb.jpeg.20cbee30efa7edda2d4c65564b6733db.jpegAnjou pear leafed out and blossoming5B012895-DD4E-4954-AD2B-359B292AC81D.thumb.jpeg.06a85ef7f6c16db258f23e9ae31f7e5e.jpegPinnaple pear just leaves so farD5819A96-BAB8-4CFC-9E72-D41D14EF3CD7.thumb.jpeg.204a060568ff9779de53238d0d0d4308.jpegAlways watch here for the green onions on the yard to start pushing and you can bet spring is here, those started 3 weeks ago. 2464207C-F873-4B2E-84F5-1507636B7B19.thumb.jpeg.09b2f2a4b5c3a2af91636d1d13ad76b0.jpegReliable daffodil early to flower here, I’ll grow them just to have something in bloom when it’s still chilly.D7734502-9928-47F5-BD22-315CFFD8099D.thumb.jpeg.b4e98c4df2f9e551e571ddbcbfc827cb.jpegWant to see some TN statewide love, give me a few months until the sh** house lilies are in full bloom here. Feels like the entire state turns TN Vols orange.

Hyacinthe hasn’t been a great performer here over the years.84C67E95-D8B0-4381-842F-000AC5A84D7C.thumb.jpeg.10ca1e3cafc81990c7d512c51d49f516.jpegMost little succulents are pushing new growth. Should have taken more pics of those.EA4D23EA-57C8-43C3-8E9E-EE291ED71B7D.thumb.jpeg.a8947764e9db380830893abf6c74f7fa.jpegButterfly bushes are starting to leaf outCC939AE7-6656-4B39-B340-6ADE19A9AC7E.thumb.jpeg.65310b72ed1fef67360b33eb9114e096.jpegLambs ear perked back up after the 3” of snow37A1EB83-FD1C-4B39-98F7-F4386A340F01.thumb.jpeg.643d6b4a2192daf3eccadb52baef5951.jpegBee balm gives cool winter interest, leave a bunch of plants like this over winter. Time to clean all the beds up and cut all this back. 123D56C5-2E1A-4927-A0F9-8E2116EB9866.thumb.jpeg.190e2d0910cbdd52439b732dd4317a22.jpegNew growth pushing. This has been a bee magnet, continuous all season bloomer after it gets going in summer.E3203C72-0053-4846-8C43-8DECBA7BEF70.thumb.jpeg.3ac1f3258fe6ce5c54d863bc5b4acefe.jpegWe have species of fungus that will fruit into December, new spring emerging fungus will not produce fruit until the ground warms. Sure sign it’s full spring.7A747A58-EF80-492D-8277-A16136EFD41A.thumb.jpeg.429828461f5b2d98789e046d71ace81c.jpegHave a bunch of semi evergreen bushes around the yard, not even sure what it is to be honest. I love anything evergreen. Can see new spring growth next to winter retained leaves.2E0CDC5D-21B9-4C44-B83B-A10399D039B1.thumb.jpeg.8d9d00024a53302e17aca9213069b42c.jpegAzalea is a great semi evergreen through winter here. Insane bloomer, starting to push now9AC0ADC2-F8F1-4461-9FF8-F87E04BFF623.thumb.jpeg.38fd5d8753655c887be32bcb169aebcb.jpeg65A5A498-536F-4BB8-B1E2-6500E9B5C57F.thumb.jpeg.903f61d62d65e6c16ed5b65c9105d130.jpegForsythia sp. starting to bloomB012EA12-9A63-45BD-B2EB-8930C9327B4A.thumb.jpeg.3f814b073874acbb3f65386f91655a89.jpegHere’s a planting mistake I’ve made, definitely faced this bonanza flowering peach tree the wrong way, growing towards the needle palm. After it finishes flowering I’m going to start pruning it in the other direction. Needle is no where near full grown. E9990E1D-C774-4894-92F6-1E12969F652C.thumb.jpeg.95ac1882176be14c679963736c652ce4.jpegThat flowering peach is the most amazing flowering plant I have.B2F7C001-2008-466B-B4E2-7F8D15697F6F.thumb.jpeg.3743ca8bcbbc33779811875aad3dde7a.jpegThe pinks, whites, purples, on dark branches is literally gorgeous in full bloom. I’ll post a pic when it climaxes. Here’s a pic from last year.93F14C67-539B-4E3E-8FC1-9421195D2675.thumb.jpeg.836c88af7dba8164f1e75a9ed27ca4f2.jpeg

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