Erythrina falcata - Brazilian Coral Tree, Corticeira-da-Serra

This is really the kind of winter temps ( down there) it would get in SA...like Durban winters.

It's most likely been pretty similar to Durban, SA. Durban is definitely milder as far as averages. The winter is not done here, also.

I took some amazing pics in Balboa Park today. It's so incredible to see so many tropical plants, trees flowering!

omg,70f at 11am down there in S.D.. 58f and getting to rain here today.
Oh well,Even the longest range forecast for here Andy are for all 40's+ as lows. A frost free winter is an amazing thing to see.

Today is not as warm as yesterday. It was almost 80 degrees here, yesterday. Some places like Ramona was 85 degrees.

The lows here have been lower-to-mid-50's. It's not too hard to take this time of year, even here in San Diego.

It rained today,we might have touched 61. They say 67f tomorrow,but I have my huge doubts.
They also say rain on Friday and Sunday. Not bad..mild temps,longer days and I dont have to water. NO frost.

Stan,

That's terrific you got some rain! It's good for all the plants. The mild weather is perfect for your plants...hopefully, it will stay mild through February, after that, cold weather is not so bad.

We may get some rain next Tuesday night. I hope we do!

Woo- change that to heavy rain and thunderstorms in TWO later waves after my last post. This is pushing a perfect winter..frost free and with rains.

That's great! It's very nice to get heavy rain. It can water all the plants very well.

It's already 70 degrees here at 10:00 a.m. It's forecasted to be 75 here where I live, I think it may be a little warmer, though. I'll see...

Must be part pineapple..today on a cloudy day- you can feel warmer air outside then in my house right now. 67f..Plus,I spotted a single flower on Celadine..on Jan 4th. NEVER seen that before. I've had that since 1998. Its also in leaf.
Young bay area gardeners will see all of this as the norm..whereas I grew up on great freezes in '68 biggest of all in '72 where nearly every single morning in December hit freezing or less. Then 1990.
Now,I got mangoes and Plumeria and all the rest doing fine.
If I last long enough,Crotons and Coconuts,..or in dry warm Cali,Big fat Adeniums planted in the front yard-lol.

Remember: January is not done yet. lol!
Hopefully it will stay mild throughout January with rain!

I remember icicles hanging on an old water tank (I think) on Soto Rd in 1972. I know in the 20th Century there's been three big freezes recorded in the SF Bay Area...1932, 1972 and the worst 1990.

I think Coconuts, Adenium and Crotons are pretty much a big stretch for the Bay Area in our lifetime. However, you never know...especially at the rate the climate is changing.

I think more coconuts are a good bet here in San Diego and some of the more tropical plants. I'm being surprised more and more by the amount of ultra-tropicals I'm seeing growing here.

Did you see this growing in Northern San Diego County?

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/55142-im-not-easily-impressed-but/

Jackfruit in San Diego not that rare anymore. The Zoo has them also.
We set a new record- 68f yesterday ON A RAINY DAY!. Smashed the old of 63f.
Back to more seasonable temps for awhile. Still,it felt Andy like some wet subtropical climate with near 70f in the middle of winter. They never did explain why that sudden warm up.

Ong Nursery sells all the really exotic plants and trees here. They have pics of people growing big jackfruit here in San Diego. The largest one I've seen in their collection of pics was a big tree in La Mesa. The Jackfruits were gigantic like in the tropics. They must have weighed 50 lbs. (I do know they can reach 70 lbs in the wet tropics).

Yes, I know the SD Zoo has Jackfruit trees. I go there a lot, you've seen my pics over the many years. :>))

That's amazing the temp was so warm there! I know when I checked the temp last night a midnight it was 60 degrees there and 61 degrees here. lol! That's pretty warm for both places for the beginning of January. It's still in the upper 70's and low 80's here. Amazing for such a long stretch of those temps. We're finally going to get some rain Monday night or Tuesday morning which may last into Wednesday. I hope it doesn't fizzle out like so many storms do!

Now,we are getting ready for heavy rains Mon-Tues. Nice today..sunny low 60's,took down the Christmas lights from the porch.
Its on the way to a 10b winter here. No frost setbacks at all. Brugs are green and blooming.
Getting ready to do more tree pruning. I like tree's but dont need the heavy shade..so thin them out.
A 10B winter. With rains. PERFECT!

I am getting ready for the first rains of this rainy season. I need to burn some plants, trees so the water can pool up. My plants are so drought-stricken. It's forecasted to rain Tuesday and part of Wednesday, with 3/4 to 1.5 inches of rain here. This would be excellent! My rain barrels are empty, maybe they can fill up. :>))

I have a lot of pruning to do here, also. The weather will be perfect here today for gardening, mid-70's.

I still am in wonder at a Hayward 10b Andy- sorry,lol. Its so different to see zip,nada, frost damage to anything. The green Banana leafs blow me away. I keep pointing out to the wife all over town "Look! still green!".

The SF Bay Area (around the bay) was in 10a for many years. 10b is quite a difference, though.

We had some very good rains last night and this morning. I'm so glad my rain barrels are full now. I'm now trying to fill every contain I can find with water. lol! We may not get any more rain until the end of January!