Popcorn Cassia

Senna didymobotyra, or popcorn Cassia is a fun addition to any garden because the crushed flowers and buds have a strong scent of buttered popcorn.  It is a robust plant that enjoys sun and heat. Note the large bumble bee closing in for a pollen snack. It is also a favorite of caterpillars of the large yellow sulphur butterflies so watch for eaten leaves in late summer. B. Bennett garden

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Silver FernSilver Fern

Iconic symbol of the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team and other national sports teams and athletes. I photographed this frond fragment on a trail in Otari-Wilton’s Bush, Wellington, NZ in March 2022.  Alsophina dealbata, can grow to 30 feet and the full fern frond can be 10 feet long. It is the underside that is white/silver.

My Spring BarometerMy Spring Barometer

Daffodils (Narcissus sp.) are classics of spring but not so common outdoors in San Diego gardens because of our warmer climate.  Many years ago, I planted the bulb from a (supermarket) potted gift bouquet into my garden.  Each year if it flowers (like this year) I know it has been cooler and wetter than normal.  Most years only the leaves emerge without a flower.