Happy vernal equinox (spring in the north, autumn in the south)!!

[Hillizard]

Finally seeing some early signs of spring blooms on my Handroanthus (aka Tabebuia), both the dark pink heptaphyllus and the lighter pink impetiginosus.) Even my previously shy blooming Bauhinia x blakeana now has clusters of buds on many of its branch tips. Despite what the winter was like on East Coast of the U.S., here in the West we experienced "relatively" mild temps. It's so dry I've had to start handwatering again! Palms in the top image are Parajubaea (l) and Jubaea (R).

[Silas_Sancona]

38 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Finally seeing some early signs of spring blooms on my Handroanthus (aka Tabebuia), both the dark pink heptaphyllus and the lighter pink impetiginosus.) Even my previously shy blooming Bauhinia x blakeana now has clusters of buds on many of its branch tips. Despite what the winter was like on East Coast of the U.S., here in the West we experienced "relatively" mild temps. It's so dry I've had to start handwatering again! Palms in the top image are Parajubaea (l) and Jubaea (R).

  Welcome back from hibernation..  Your buddies hanging out on the walls here all winter this year have missed you 

[zero]

1 hour ago, Hillizard said:

Finally seeing some early signs of spring blooms on my Handroanthus (aka Tabebuia), both the dark pink heptaphyllus and the lighter pink impetiginosus.)

Nice, I am trying to germinate seeds of the yellow type.  Saw this tree the other day in Harlingen, Texas.

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, Hillizard said:

Finally seeing some early signs of spring blooms on my Handroanthus (aka Tabebuia), both the dark pink heptaphyllus and the lighter pink impetiginosus.) Even my previously shy blooming Bauhinia x blakeana now has clusters of buds on many of its branch tips. Despite what the winter was like on East Coast of the U.S., here in the West we experienced "relatively" mild temps. It's so dry I've had to start handwatering again! Palms in the top image are Parajubaea (l) and Jubaea (R).

I would go so far as to replace the word "relatively " with "extremely " when describing how mild this winter was in the far west and south of the US.  Deespite a few major storms delivering snow to the southern Sierra Nevada range, there have been extended periods of warmer than normal weather between them.  My son lives in the Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes and advised they are expecting temps to rise to 75 in town on Monday, which is crazy warm for this time of year there.  

The storms that delivered rain to San Diego this winter were mostly accompanied by warmer temperatures this winter too, with heat waves between storms.  I have posted about plants blooming earlier than usual since late Autumn beginning with winter blooming Laelia orchids.  I am not alone in noticing this as a recent post from Phoenix about early Plumeria flowering pointed out.  All through winter my wetsuit selection has been confirming the warm Pacific ocean temperatures.  I only wore my thickest wetsuit a couple of days this winter because the coastal ocean temps only dropped below 60 degrees here for short periods instead of several weeks. 

As winter ended, several records for highest high and highest low temperature were broken for the month of March in places like Palm Springs and in some cities in San Diego & Riverside  county mountains and and inland valleys.

Bottom line, I think saying it was an extremely mild winter in the southwest is justified.   Spring is starting with over 20 record highs broken on March 20th from Santa Ana to Big Bear and down to Palm Springs,  and from Chula Vista up to Alpine and over to Borrego Springs further south.   So we begin with extreme weather if record breaking conditions qualify as extreme.

[happypalms]

At this point I shall grumble going into winter and all those new varieties iam zone pushing with, well we know what happens to some of those intolerant of cold palms,  compost heap! 

[happypalms]

12 hours ago, Fusca said:

Nice, I am trying to germinate seeds of the yellow type.  Saw this tree the other day in Harlingen, Texas.

Be careful of those tabeuia, a curse of a weed in my climate. 

[Hillizard]

On 3/21/2026 at 1:16 AM, Tracy said:

I would go so far as to replace the word "relatively " with "extremely " when describing how mild this winter was in the far west and south of the US.  Deespite a few major storms delivering snow to the southern Sierra Nevada range, there have been extended periods of warmer than normal weather between them.  My son lives in the Eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes and advised they are expecting temps to rise to 75 in town on Monday, which is crazy warm for this time of year there.  

The storms that delivered rain to San Diego this winter were mostly accompanied by warmer temperatures this winter too, with heat waves between storms.  I have posted about plants blooming earlier than usual since late Autumn beginning with winter blooming Laelia orchids.  I am not alone in noticing this as a recent post from Phoenix about early Plumeria flowering pointed out.  All through winter my wetsuit selection has been confirming the warm Pacific ocean temperatures.  I only wore my thickest wetsuit a couple of days this winter because the coastal ocean temps only dropped below 60 degrees here for short periods instead of several weeks. 

As winter ended, several records for highest high and highest low temperature were broken for the month of March in places like Palm Springs and in some cities in San Diego & Riverside  county mountains and and inland valleys.

Bottom line, I think saying it was an extremely mild winter in the southwest is justified.   Spring is starting with over 20 record highs broken on March 20th from Santa Ana to Big Bear and down to Palm Springs,  and from Chula Vista up to Alpine and over to Borrego Springs further south.   So we begin with extreme weather if record breaking conditions qualify as extreme.

Our warmer winters out West were complicated where I live by weeks and weeks of dense tule fog. Some of my  non-palm plants reacted by stopping growth and/or rotting leaves. Glad that spell is over!

[bubba]

We are at yellow apex but the Tab's are fleeting 

[bubba]