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

Feels Like Spring

Aloe speciosa (or some close cousin in Asphodelaceae) blooming in the front yard. This year, probably due to the warm January and wet November/December here in Southern California, the Aloe are all blooming early. None of their flowers are quite as dramatic or as stately as the Aloe speciosa. Ironically, there are normally two Aloe speciosa blooming in the front yard each February. However, possibly because the bigger one is crowding out the smaller one, this year there was only one...but with twice the flowers as normal.