Gardening : A Landscaping Showroom at the Fullerton Arboretum
Three predominant impressions came to mind as I completed a recent tour of the Fullerton Arboretum, located on the campus of Cal State Fullerton: This is a very practical arboretum; it is a historically fascinating place; there is something here for everyone.
You don’t have to be a horticultural aficionado to enjoy and benefit from a visit. It is a most practical place to observe plants and determine how they will fit into your particular home landscape or gardening situation.
For instance, do you want to know how a particular rose will look and perform under Southland growing conditions? Visit the Rose Section; chances are the rose you are interested in will be there in full bloom, along with many other modern roses and a fine collection of old-fashioned ones.
What about growing fruit trees in Southern California? Wander through the Subtropical Fruit Grove and check out fruit trees designed for our climate. A visit right before harvest time will demonstrate which peach, apple, apricot, plum, etc. varieties produce the best. Urban gardeners will be particularly interested in the Dwarf Fruit Section, which features a selection of space-saving dwarf fruit trees.
Rare Fruit Collection
Within the Subtropical Fruit Grove is a marvelous collection of rare fruit trees maintained by the California Rare Fruit Growers, whose headquarters is at the arboretum. Exotic cherimoyas, papayas and guavas are just a few of the rare fruit varieties growing here, most of which may be suitable for planting in your own yard. Incidentally, you can sample some of these rare fruits in season by purchasing them at the arboretum gift shop.
Xeriscaping (landscaping with drought-tolerant plants) is a subject of particular concern in our semi-arid climate. Visit the various collections and specimens in the Arid Zone Section of the grounds and pick out plants that might fit into your particular landscape.
The arboretum sponsors a Community Garden Area, consisting of 48 garden plots each planted and maintained by dedicated individuals. These people have done a marvelous job with their vegetable and flower plots. Browse through the area on a weekend and chat with these enthusiastic gardeners. They’ll proudly show you their garden and perhaps supply you with a few gardening tips. In addition, there is a new organic demonstration garden where you can view vegetables being grown organically.
19th-Century Ambience
At the center of the Historic Section of the arboretum stands Heritage House with its surrounding gardens and structures that take you back to the 1890s in Southern California.
Heritage House was built in 1894 by Dr. George C. Clark, a pioneer Fullerton physician. It was both his home and office and has been lovingly and authentically restored as a museum depicting Southland family life in the late 19th Century. It is a prime example of Eastlake Victorian architecture that was prevalent in Orange County at the turn of the century.
Of special interest are the surrounding gardens, which are reproductions of the gardens tended by the doctor’s wife. Included here are a kitchen garden featuring heirloom vegetable varieties, a cut-flower garden with flowers of the era, a culinary herb garden and a fascinating medicinal herb garden like the one the doctor utilized to produce the medicines he dispensed.
Orange County Oranges
In close proximity to Heritage House is the Historical Orchard, devoted to fruit trees that were important to the early development of agriculture in Orange County. Among trees included here are Bacon, Hass and Furete avocado trees grown from the original budwood, and the Olinda Valencia orange tree, a variety that contributed so much to Orange County’s early economy.
Apropos of orange trees, scattered throughout the various orchard sections are specimens of the original trees dating back to the time when the land now occupied by the arboretum and university was a working orange grove.
Among other diverse and interesting attractions at the Fullerton Arboretum is a working apiary containing beehives maintained by three CSU professors. Honey from the hives is on sale at the gift shop.
A stream containing native chub and stickleback fish meanders through the beautiful grounds and includes a small waterfall and a lake.
Additional horticultural adventures include a carnivorous-plant bog, an extensive cactus and succulent garden, conifer and palm collections.
Deciduous Display
Homesick for fall foliage? If so, plan to visit the Occidental Section during autumn. It is full of deciduous trees adapted to Southern California growing conditions, many of which put on a beautiful fall foliage exhibit.
In addition, there are many other plant collections, plant areas and interesting individual plant specimens. In the Tropical Section, I was delighted with the monkey-hand trees, which got their name from the hand-shaped interior of their large red flowers. Incidentally, the tree is pollinated by bats.
If you would like to get educationally or culturally involved, the arboretum offers many opportunities by providing lectures, tours and demonstrations. There is a Heritage House tour on selected Sundays, when the authentically furnished interior of the home can be viewed. A Victorian Christmas celebration centers on the house during the holiday season.
A good selection of plants displayed at the arboretum is available at the weekend plant sales.
Community Endeavor
The arboretum was established in the 1970s by students and faculty at the university, along with the City of Fullerton and various community groups.
My tour was conducted by Celia Kutcher, the resident curator-taxonomist, and Rico Montenegro, the assistant director. They are part of a small but dedicated professional staff that relies heavily on the 800-member Friends of the Arboretum support group for assistance.
The Fullerton Arboretum is at the northeast corner of the university campus. Take the California 57 to Yorba Linda Boulevard. Turn west on Yorba Linda and go to the first stoplight, at Associated Road; turn south onto the campus. The arboretum is open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily except major holidays. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Phone (714) 773-3579 for information.
