January: Saucer Magnolia, soulangeana.
This tree is my all time favorite. Perhaps because January is my birthday month. These trees bloom all month long as soon as the first wave of heat hits Whittier. Their blooms resemble teacups and saucers, pink and violet on the outside and white on the inside. I like to call them the tulip trees.
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| Saucer Magnolia |
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Saucer Magnolia
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| Saucer Magnolia |
February: The Evergreen Pear Tree, pyrus kawakamii.
Bark like dragon skin and blooms like snow, this multi-seasonal tree looks gorgeous in spring and striking in fall. When the wind blows, the popcorn-like blooms flutter off the branches. In the late fall, the leaves turn astonishing colors. I like to call them the snow trees.
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| Evergreen Pear |
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| Evergreen Pear |
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| Evergreen Pear Leaves |
March: Camellia, camellia; White Redbud, Cercis canadensis; Navel Orange, citrus sinensis; Wisteria, wisteria
There are just too many trees to choose from in March, so I put several here. The Camilla blooms early and has such a variety of flowers brightening these glossy green shrubs. The Eastern Redbud (a whitebud is pictured here) is so picturesque this time of year. It's counter partner, the redbud, has reddish-pink flowers and dark red heart-shaped leaves.
We cannot forget the citrus trees this time of year, which are popping with delicious smelling blooms and bees galore. While usually the blooms are hidden behind their leaves, you can't miss the smell. Lastly, I include wisteria, which is not a tree—although it's pictured as one here—but so glorious that I couldn't exclude it. It's blooms also have a heavenly scent and the clusters of purple flowers look like abundant grapes.
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| Camellia |
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| Camellia |
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| White Redbud |
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| Navel Orange |
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| Wisteria |
April: Pink Trumpet Tree, tabebuia heptaphylla.
These trees could be nicknamed the cotton candy trees. The pink color on them is breathtaking; however, at any other time of the year, you wouldn't notice them. They also come in a hot yellow version that will just about hurt your eyes to look at them.
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| Pink Trumpet Tree |
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| Yellow Trumpet Tree |
May: Hong King Orchid Tree, bauhinia blakeana
Several streets in Uptown Whittier have this as their street tree, and the view down these streets this time of year is stunning. They look like hallways decorated for a wedding. Each individual flower on the tree is so exquisite and detailed. It would make a beautiful painting. These trees also come in a more vibrant pink and a white. I often call these trees the butterfly tries because their leaves are butterfly shaped.
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| Hong Kong Orchid Blooms |
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| Hong Kong Orchid Tree |
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| Hong Kong Orchid |
June: Jacaranda, jacaranda mimosifolia.
These trees have a lovely scented purple flower that falls on the Whittier streets, and when the cars drive over them make a gentle popping sound. Though rather leggy, when these trees line both sides of the street, they create a hazy purple tunnel.
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| Jacaranda |
September: Pink Silk Floss Tree, ceiba speciosa.
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| Pink Silk Floss Tree |
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| Pink Silk Floss Tree |
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