Bauhinia × blakeana - Hong Kong Orchid Tree

I first encountered this specimen while investigating Oceanview Ave. on a tip from a student about the huge trees. I was in Oceanview park and came out to find this poor little tree with only a few leaves, looking like it might be dead soon. Put in my notes that is was there but didn't think much about it. I went back in late November only to find it in bloom and doing quite well. I doubt it will reach its full potential here, it's reportedly damaged with temperatures of 20F. Trees reportedly semi-deciduous or completely deciduous, 15-20' tall and usually wider that tall, dome shaped. Looks a bit coarse with its long branches going in all directions.

Leaves are semi-deciduous or deciduous, alternate, simple, and more or less round in outline. The tip of the leaf is deeply lobed at least 1/3 of the way to the base. All the veins originate at the base of the leaf and radiate outward. Generally bluish green in color and often folded up like a clam closing or a butterfly.

Fragrant flowers appearing in fall into the winter and blooming until spring. Magenta color, five petals and sepals, 5+ inches wide, asymmetrical, long stamens with curving tip and female part even longer and more curved.

Stems some what zig-zagging at the nodes, smooth and green or brown in the fall, but new strong growth may have copper colored hairs. Vegetative buds look naked but I have not seen references to that.

Misidentification:
I have read references suggesting the leaves can look like Cercis canadensis but deeply lobed at the tip. I think the give away that its not a Cercis is the leaves folded up and deeply lobed. Now the trouble begins, as there are more than on species of Bauhinia, B. variegata has smaller leaves, less shallowly lobed to almost not lobed, smaller flowers, but same color flower or very pale to almost white. The pictures I have seen of B. variegata in full bloom the flowers all look very light colored, almost white.

I am open to being schooled on this plant. Doubt the owner will read this and most don't know what is planted in their yards.

Location:
Santa Cruz
113 Oceanview Ave.

Quercus lobata - Valley Oak

What an awesome tree. Can't believe how beautiful these trees look clothed in leaves or even better just showing the amazing branching structure. Scotts Valley and Ben Lomond have the added heat that these trees require to prosper. There are a few closer to the coast but they will not ever get as large as those or the trees seen in the Central Valley. This tree is no longer alive, very sad.

Growing to 80 feet tall with a broad open spreading crown, these trees have massive branches with fantatic bark. The branching pattern is spectacular, with smaller and smaller branched creating a soft outline at the perimeter.

Leaves are deciduous, simple, alternate, obovate, 2-4" long, half that in width, 7-11 rounded lobes that reach at least half way to the midrib, generally deeper. They are light green on the upper surface, lighter below with trichomes (hairs) on the veins and petiole.  

Stems are light brown, ridged, with small very small buds except the terminals. They also have trichomes, giving the stems a tannish color until they fall off.

Male and female flowers are separated, males in catkins, females just behind the apical growing points. Males are easy to see, female not so.

Fruit is an acorn 1-2" long borne singly or in pairs on a short stalk. Mature the first year. The cap is called an involucre or involucral bracts which are modified leaves surrounding the inflorescence. 

Oaks have lots of cool pests, especially those forming galls. Some galls are round, some are star shaped, but all are very interesting to look at and see a relationship between a tree species and insects. I came across an interesting article about how oak experts have a hard time correctly identifying some of the oaks but the insects that create galls do not and experts using the gall can help identify the oak. Spined Turbin gall wasp on this one.

 Bark is light gray with darker fissures, becoming alligator skin like when old.

Misidentification:

Other oaks with rounded lobes. Around here you are not likely to see many others, you might encounter a white oak or a burr oak but they both have much larger leaves.

Location:

Aptos

695 Loma Prieta Dr (maybe)

412 Sumner Dr.

Ben Lomond

Highway 9 Scarborough Hardware Ben Lomond (Dead)