Passiflora

Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, SF

Cellphone photo technology improves! 

Here's a Passiflora "Passion Flower". There's a rather interesting story that involves Christian religious interpretation and the Passion Flower (crown of thorns, apostles, wounds, etc., as they correspond to the showy flower parts). You can read it here or here; Wikipedia's entry on Passion Flower, under the heading Etymology gives further detail.

The Botanical Garden at Golden Gate Park: Strybing Arboretum

Each winter, I wait with anticipation for the first flowers of the year, snowy white magnolias and blushing tulipifera blooms. I like to visit the examples at Strybing Arboretum, some of which are shown here.  Landscapers with a sense of beauty get a vote of approval as I spy local examples in my own neighborhood. The Magnolias typically are evergreen with dark leathery leaves, while the Tulipiferas have pinkish-tinged white blossoms on nude branches, with the leaves budding out as the flowers fade into spring.