Known in France as the “winter sun”, the bright yellow blooms of the mimosa tree has been a symbol of the Mandelieu-La Napoule region since the mid-19th Century.

That’s when the flowering tree was introduced into the Esterel and Tanneron massif from Australia. Each winter (January and February), the scent of the yellow blossoms of the mimosa fills the air.

Of course, there’s a festival for that! This year’s Mimosa Fest takes place February 17 through 26, 2012.

All sorts of parades, spectacles and exhibitions are planned around this year’s theme: animals.

(Photo courtesy of the Tourism Office of Mandelieu-La Napoule)