Monty Burns

Japanese Pittosporum has flowers that smell like orange blossoms giving it the name "Mock Orange."

The sweet scent of Mock Orange is wafting through parts of San Diego. Also known as Japanese Pittosporum or Australian Laurel. Pittosporum Tobira is an evergreen shrub that is native to parts of Eastern Asia and can be found in Japan, South Korea, northern Taiwan, and coastal parts of China. In North America, it can be found in mild climates in states like California, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. It is typically seen as a bush or shrub, but can grow as tall as 13 feet if left unpruned. It grows in zones 8-10 and thrives in full sun to heavy shade, a wide range of soil pH, and is drought, heat and salt spray tolerant, but can’t survive in cold temperatures, making it ideal for coastal locations and mild climates. It flowers in April-May; the flowers smell like orange blossoms, hence the name “Mock Orange.” However, the fruit it produces in the fall is not edible.

Mule deer are named for their large ears which look like those of a mule.

Wikimedia Commons/Dcrjsr

Mule Deer by the Dozens continue to roam through the 25,000 acre Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Take an early-morning drive down Highway 79 through the park, and you’ll likely spot deer on or near the road. Mule deer are named for their large ears; without antlers, they can look like mules.

Full moon setting over La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, CA

May’s first full Moon Reaches Its Peak on Thursday, May 23 at 6:53 am. May’s moon names traditionaly speak to the arrival of spring. The native Algonquin peoples call it “The Flower Moon.” The Cree names are “Budding Moon” and “Leaf Budding Moon.” The Dakota and Lakota tribes called it the “Planting Moon,” as it marked the time when seasonal crops were planted.