What's Blooming?

 The Aloe are in full bloom!  This is a closeup of Aloe ferox.

Aloe ferox.  Also known as the bitter aloe.  This Aloe has distinctive red spines and wonderful, branching flower spikes.  The sap of this plant is sometimes used as a laxative and to treat arthritis.  This particular plant is blooming for the first time and is about 5 years old.  It's main source of water has been natural precipitation with an occasional watering during the hot San Diego summers.

 Mexican Sage is a favorite for both the bees and the hummingbirds.

 Aloe speciosa in full bloom.  Aloe put out a lot of nectar when they bloom, attracting bees for days!

 Cattleya loddigesii

Slc Katherine Clarkson X Blc Suncoast Sunspots

Allen's Hummingbird on Aloe

Allens Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin, feasting on Aloe nectar at the Huntington Botanical Gardens.

Yellow Aloe

Yellow Aloe species in bloom. The San Diego Zoo is know for its huge collection of animals including such notables as the giant pandas on loan from China. The huge collection of Aloe species is a lesser known but also notable attraction. This lovely little yellow Aloe, with creeping/sprawling growth habit, had no label but brightened up an otherwise cool and overcast day.

Aloe and Bees

Here's a short video of an Aloe in full bloom in the front yard in February. It really adds a lot of color to the yard in February when most things are not blooming yet. The bees are pretty happy as well as this aloe literally oozes nectar when in full bloom and attracts bees from miles around. I shot the video with the intent of capturing some of the bees on video. You can hear them buzzing around my head as I was taking the video.

Springtime in San Diego

Well okay, it's really still Winter but you wouldn't know it in San Diego. The Aloes are bursting into bloom and my Penstemon and Kangaroo paw are as well. The ice plant is blooming in huge purple waves alongside the highways. I love this time of year when the weather warms up a little and the flowers start to gain some momentum. It reminds me of why I moved out here in the first place.

Early Spring in San Diego

It's February and it's been a cold Winter; however, Spring blooming starts a little earlier in San Diego. The Aloes are in full bloom and the bees and the hummingbirds are having a feast. This little beauty is blooming in my front yard. The peach tree is in full bloom out back as well so I'm hoping to get a few peaches this year.