Kevin linked to a discussion about a blogger yesterday who wrote, in all seriousness, "I couldn't recall ever seeing pine trees in Malibu." That line had a lot of locals laughing.

The truth is, a little bit of everything grows in Malibu. Like the rest of the state, we're home to an outlandish mix of native plants and wacky imports that date as far back as the missions. Hike into the hills and you'll see natives like the coast live oak, the flowering ash and the California juniper growing side-by-side with migrant species like palms, acacia and, yes, pines.

Here's a coastal prickly pear, a lovely native, growing happily in a canyon near the sea. (And right behind are two unwelcome invaders - the eucalyptus and the power pole.)