Sunshine Super
Spring’s official opening day is about a month away but it’s sending out sunny midday feelers already. Morning and night are still best approached with a coat or sweater but lunchtime can get pretty warm and very bright. This intense sunshine is perfect for showing off the Rancho’s current crop of gold; our knife-edge acacia a perfect case-in-point …
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As you can see each blossom is actually a tiny, spherically perfect, puff of purest yellow.
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While out on the slope, cassias huff and puff and create gusts of buttery gold …
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And heading ’round front, a fave variegated agave seems to be edged in racing stripes lit from within.
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I’m really not trying to hurry Winter out the door — that can only lead to Summer’s obnoxious heat … still, I’m enjoying this bit of Springtime color immensely.
Rancho Reubidoux 
Lovely pics of lovely plants. I love watching spring starting to tickle a little color out of our plants at this time of year. Before the heat makes us not want to come out to see what’s out there.
Hey, Vickie, you’re entirely right! That’s why I need to ease into Spring so, so slowly …
I love yellow blooms. Something about them makes me feel happy. I don’t recall seeing the blooms on this tree before. How long do they normally last?
Hiya, WF, the short answer is: The acacia blooms never last long enough! They’re just so beautiful I’d love to have them around forever, but sadly that won’t be the case. The tree’s been in bloom now about a week and a half … it’s maybe got another week to go before they go.
Love that acacia, do you know it’s botanical name, I wouldn’t mind getting one
I do know the name, it’s here along with some fun facts from wikipedia; enjoy!
Acacia cultriformis, known as the Knife-leaf Wattle, Dogtooth Wattle, Half-moon Wattle or Golden-glow Wattle, is a perennial tree or shrub of the genus Acacia native to Australia. It is widely cultivated, and has been found to have naturalised in Asia, Africa, North America, New Zealand and South America. Acacia cultriformis grows to a height of about 2–3 m.
A. cultriformis is used as cut flowers. The flowers are edible [!!] and they are an ingredient used in some fritters. Yellow dye is extracted from the flowers and green dye is extracted from the seed pods. Since the plant has many thorns, it is used as a protective hedge.
I have loved the crap out of that Acacia since the very first time you posted a photo of it on your blog. I’ve only seen it IRL at nurseries a few times and my husband talks me out of buying it every time (Where are you going to plant that? The dog’s in the car! We’re driving the motorcycle!) I think he might be a tiny bit jelly.
Jealous of a tree-like shrub resplendent with tiny, innumerable golden puffballs? That’s a wise man you have there, MM!
I know. He knows me too well.
;-)!
Phoenix had a hard frost this morning. Not spring here quite yet!
I understand totally, Jenn: The day after posting this it rained and was freezing cold!