Looks like autumn olive, a VERY invasive Elaeagnus around here. It would be nice if yours were a different and less invasive Elaeagnus. I think autumn olive flowers smell disgusting so perhaps yours is another closely related one. ...Or maybe they just smell disgusting to me because they remind me of all the hard work done to remove them.

If the same as in the OP photo, it was correctly identified as Duranta erecta and very likely the cultivar 'Sapphire Showers'. It is subtropical in origin and will not survive a New England winter in the ground. Rated to only zone 10 but can take a light frost.

bboy, my pictures truthfully show their color. Have you not seen any like these? I donÂt believe it. I think this type may be one of the most popular cultivars.

both chorisia/ceiba and jacaranda can grow well in excess of 30' tall under good southern california conditions. some of the bauhinias (there are several of which b. blakeana is especially nice) and a tree called tabebuia ipe (or t. impetiginosa)are somewhat smaller and have roughly similar pinkish/purplish flowers. for that matter, cercis candensis, chilopsis linearis, and sophora secundiflora are definitely small trees with the same flower colors---assuming you were interested in obtaining trees of this nature for your garden in the first place.... BTW, "ornamental trees of san diego" is an excellent source of pictures and info on neat flowering trees to grow and just to look at in your area.