African tulip tree in La Jolla

The early bird gets the worm.  That’s exactly how I felt.  I ran into a friend of mine from college.  I was jogging and he was swimming at La Jolla Cove.  I also had another surprise.  I have never seen these magnificent flowers before.   I had to stop running and admired them how colorful and big they are (about eight inches in diameter).  It is commonly called African tulip tree or fountain tree.  Its scientific name is Spathodea campanulata.  It is native to Africa but is invasive in the tropical climate zone.  However, I only saw once at U.S. San Diego campus during my trip to La Jolla.  According to Wikipedia, this plant is used for a lot of purposes (food, timber, poison and medicine), including the bark being boiled in water for bathing babies to heal rashes.