It's Purple Season in Los Angeles

I know, it's June Gloom. But it's also jacaranda season as the trees bloom their pastel purple flowers -- and cause a mess on cars and streets everywhere!

L.A.'s Super Weeds

There's something creepy about weeds that get so tall and thick that they start to look like trees. Witness this massive, possible 15-foot collection of weeds -- can they even still be called that at this height?-- in our next door neighbor's yard. They've grown so tall that they're hitting power lines and casting a shadow over our backyard.

I never noticed these massive weeds until a few years ago, when we first bought our home. Virtually overnight, these things sprouted all over our backyard. And before you knew it, they grew like, well, weeds.

These days, I see these weeds all over the city - particularly on the sides of freeways, where they grow unchecked around legitimate plants.

But what I've never bothered to ask is, what are these things? And what happens when they're allowed to turn into mini-trees?